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I*     NOV  25  1907 


Division  ^S2.'42l 
Section     ,S535 


tutiiesi  in  tfie  Hife  of  Cfirigt 


./  BY 

J.  B.  SHEARER,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 

Professor  of  Biblical  Instruction,  Davidson  College;  Author  of 
"Bible  Course  Syllabus."  "Modern  Mysticism,"  and 
"The  Sermon  on  the  Mount." 


I 


Richmond,  Virginia  : 
^rcsfaptcrian  Committee  of  publication 

1907 


Copyright  by 
R.  E.  MAGILL, 
Secretary  of  Publication, 
1907. 


Printed  by 

Whittet  &  Shepperson, 

Richmond,  Va. 


Srhtrattnn. 


WRITTEN  FOR  THE  GLORY  OF  THE  MASTER  AND 

DEDICATED  TO  HIM  WITH  GRATITUDE  FOR 

THE  PRIVILEGE  OF  TEACHING  HIS 

WORD  FOR  SO  MANY  YEARS. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 

State  of  the  World  at  the  Christian  Era.  The 

Fulness  of  Time,    9 

CHAPTER  n. 
Who  is  the  Lord?    Who  is  Christ?,  16 

CHAPTER  HI. 

His  Names  and  Titles,   29 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Christ's  Prayers,  38 

CHAPTER  V. 

Christ's  Controversies,   47 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Parables,    54 

CHAPTER  VH. 
Miracles,   61 

CHAPTER  Vni. 
Typology 68 


6  Contents. 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Prophecies  Fulfilled  in  Christ, 76 

CHAPTER  X. 

Christ's  Prophecies,    84 

CHAPTER  XL 
The  Parousia,  or  the  Coming, 91 

CHAPTER  Xn. 
Four  Last  Days  of  Christ's  Public  Ministry,  .  .  .    108 

CHAPTER  XHL 
The  Passover,  The  Lord's  Supper,  The  Betrayal,  118 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Trial,    125 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Crucifixion, 134 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Resurrection  and  Ascension, 143 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Overlapping  of  the  Dispensations, 155 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Summary  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 164 


PREFACE. 


The  author  does  not  propose  to  write  a  commentary  on 
the  Gospels ;  nor  does  he  undertake  to  write  another  Life 
of  Christ ;  nor  does  he  aim  to  discuss  disconnected  inci- 
dents and  fragmentary  topics  found  in  his  life.  He  has, 
for  thirty-five  years,  carefully  drilled  his  college  classes  in 
the  Gospels  with  such  exposition  as  they  seemed  to  need 
and  time  has  allowed. 

He  has  made  no  effort  to  set  up  doctrinal  tenets  in 
abstract  categories.  But  his  aim  has  been  to  make  a 
wide  and  exhaustive  induction  of  the  facts,  in  the  Gospel 
and  elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures,  which  throw  light  on  the 
person,  character,  and  work  of  Christ. 

This  method,  if  successful,  would  give  a  many-sided 
and  complete  view  of  him  and  his  salvation.  We  may  see 
him  as  the  concrete  Saviour  in  his  completeness ;  and  we 
may  also  get  the  absolute  measure  of  his  salvation.  The 
painter  adds  touch  to  touch,  till  the  portrait  is  complete, 
and  so  may  we.  In  presenting  complete  and  concrete 
truth,  we  may  add  bone  to  bone,  till  every  joint  is  articu- 
lated, and  flesh  and  blood  and  life  find  their  place  in  the 
living  concrete  truth. 

This  little  volume  is  the  author's  attempt  to  realize 
this  for  his  classes.  It  begins  with  Christ's  environment 


8  Preface. 

and  closes  with  a  summary  of  the  Gospel.  It  surely  is 
not  presumption  to  attempt  these  things.  If  this  attempt 
in  an  untried  field  shall  inspire  some  loving  hand  and 
heart  to  do  the  work  better,  the  author  shall  be  more 
than  grateful. 

J.  B.  Shearer. 
Davidson,  N.  C. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  I. 


State  of  the  World  at  the  Christian  Era. 
The  Fulness  of  Time. 

PAUL  says:  "When  the  fulness  of  time  was  come, 
God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made 
under  the  law,  to  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law, 
that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons."  The  impli- 
cation is  that  no  previous  time  would  have  been  suitable 
for  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  for  the  setting  up  of  his 
kingdom,  and  that  the  affairs  of  this  world  had  been  so 
ordered  and  arranged  by  an  all-wise  providence  as  best 
to  carry  out  the  covenant  of  grace  between  the  Father 
and  the  Son  for  the  salvation  of  his  people.  We  believe 
that  redemption  was  central  in  the  divine  plan,  and  that 
Christ  was,  as  he  still  is,  "head  over  all  things  to  the 
church."  (Gal.  iv.  4;  Eph.  i.  22.) 

The  seed  of  the  woman  was  promised  to  our  first 
parents  after  they  sinned.  His  redemptive  and  media- 
torial work  was  set  forth  in  type  and  in  prophecy  for 
four  thousand  years.  We  may  study  the  history  of 
nations  and  peoples  never  so  closely,  and  we  can  find  no 
time,  nor  place,  nor  people,  nor  conditions  suitable  for  the 
advent  of  the  Messiah,  in  comparison  with  his  actual 
coming. 

The   Abrahamic   covenant   was   unfolded   with   varied 


10  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

form  and  dress,  all  converging  toward  the  fulfilment  of 
the  promise :  "In  thee  shall  all  nations  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."  Apostasy  needed  to  try  its  own  experiments 
and  test  its  own  devices.  Human  philosophies  needed  to 
try  their  substitutes  for  the  knowledge  of  God.  The 
oracles  of  God  needed  to  be  set  up  and  verified  against 
all  comers.  A  people  must  be  prepared  to  be  the  matrix 
of  the  Gospel,  and  conditions  must  be  found  favorable  to 
its  spread  and  propagation.  It  would  be  of  great  interest 
to  trace  the  unfolding  of  history  from  the  first  promise 
down  to  the  time  of  his  coming.  But  this  is  not  our 
purpose.  We  only  desire  to  set  forth  the  state  of  the 
world  when  Christ  came,  and  to  recognize  it  as  the 
fulness  of  time  for  God  to  send  his  Son. 

The  civil  conditions  were  favorable.  The  Roman 
Empire  furnished  the  arena  for  the  triumphs  of  the 
Gospel.  The  barriers  of  national  boundaries  were  largely 
broken  down.  Roman  citizenship  was  the  ambition  of 
all  nations  and  peoples,  and  the  protection  of  Roman 
law  was  felt  and  enjoyed  everywhere.  The  Latin  and 
Greek  languages  were  spoken  and  written  throughout 
the  empire  along  with  provincial  dialects  and  tongues. 
Highways  of  travel  radiated  from  Rome  to  the  remotest 
provinces,  and  heralds  of  the  cross  went  in  safety  to 
Spain  and  Britain  on  the  west,  and  to  Persia  and  India 
on  the  east.  The  most  distant  populations  were,  to  a 
certain  extent,  cosmopolitan,  or,  at  least,  were  accustomed 
to  all  the  generic  types  of  civic  and  social  culture;  and 
Roman  manners  dominated  them  all.  Thus  had  the 
Roman  Empire  broken  down  the  barriers  and  established 
a  universalism  of  language,  manners  and  accessibility. 

Paganism  had  proven  a  failure  and  was  growing  effete. 
We  believe  that  the  human  race  was  at  first  of  one  re- 
ligion and  of  one  faith  and  worship.    We  are  not  told  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  ii 

nature  of  the  general  apostasy  before  the  flood,  except 
its  extreme  wickedness.  After  the  flood,  polytheism 
gradually  superseded  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  often 
overlapping  and  tolerating  it  for  a  season.  Polytheism 
gradually  crystallized  into  permanent  systems  of  religion 
hostile  to  the  religion  of  the  living  God,  all  of  which  we 
call  Paganism.  These  false  religions  had  their  traditions, 
their  literature,  their  gods  and  their  demi-gods,  their 
heroes,  their  devotees,  their  priesthoods,  their  hierarchies, 
their  altars  and  their  sacrifices.  Of  course,  much  of  all 
this  was  lost  in  the  lower  and  degenerate  forms  of  Pagan- 
ism, but  even  these  give  abundant  evidence  of  a  higher 
origin. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  pagan  religions  were 
wholly  false  and  absolutely  evil.  Their  institutions  were 
of  traditional  origin ;  and  their  fundamental  principles 
and  practices  were  largely  copied  from  the  true,  and 
were  but  partially  perverted  and  emasculated.  While  it 
is  true  that  no  pagan  religion  provided  and  offered  any 
sufficient  plan  for  personal  salvation,  they  were  all  of 
great  value  to  society  and  to  the  state.  All  religion  is,  in 
a  proper  sense,  conservative.  Faith  in  any  god  and  in 
any  creed  is  an  anchor  to  society.  Even  superstitions  are 
of  value  for  this  purpose.  For  this  reason,  pagan  peoples 
usually  present  substantially  the  same  conditions  from 
century  to  century.  Many  nations  and  peoples  have  been 
kept  from  decay  in  this  way,  until  the  dawn  of  a  better 
day. 

Some  students  of  comparative  religion,  observing 
these  facts,  have  maximized  them  in  such  a  way  as  to 
make  them  the  peers  of  Bible  religion,  and  even  superior 
to  it  for  those  peoples  where  the  several  pagan  religions 
prevail.  Others  attempt  to  find  that  faith  is  the  common 
saving  element  in  them  all.     They  forget  that  faith  is  of 


12  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

no  saving  value,  except  it  rest  in  a  "thus  saith  the  Lord." 
Paganism  has  derived  its  strength  and  power  from  its 
moral  and  ethical  systems.  These  conform  largely  to  the 
teaching  of  the  natural  conscience,  and  are  reinforced  by 
tradition  and  by  copying  from  others.  Some  of  them  are 
so  excellent  and  so  striking,  that  it  has  been  charged  that 
Moses  and  Christ  are  mainly  indebted  to  paganism  for 
their  moral  teachings.  Paganism  more  commonly  ex- 
alted the  sturdy,  manly,  and  heroic  virtues  and  their 
imitations.  At  the  coming  of  Christ,  paganism  had  had 
its  day.  The  experiment  had  been  fairly  made,  and  it 
was  found  wanting.  In  proof  of  this,  several  facts  may 
be  cited : 

1.  The  ancient  sturdy,  manly  virtues  were  disappear- 
ing before  a  growing  immorality.  With  the  growth  of 
wealth  and  culture,  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans  yielded 
to  sensuality,  effeminacy,  profligacy  and  immorality. 
The  satires  of  Horace  and  Persius  Flaccus  were  none 
too  severe ;  and  the  scorpion  lash  of  Cicero,  laid  on  the 
backs  of  the  senatorial  party  at  Rome,  fairly  exposes  the 
true  condition.  The  only  use  they  had  for  the  effete  sys- 
tems of  religion,  was  to  help  them  control  the  ignorant 
masses. 

2.  The  family  had  become  unstable,  and  divorce  was 
made  easy.  The  decay  of  virtue  makes  easy  divorce. 
At  Rome,  marriage  became  mercenary,  and  she  set  the 
fashion  throughout  the  empire.  Even  at  Jerusalem,  it 
was  openly  taught  that  a  man  might  put  away  his  wife 
for  every  cause.  The  size  of  the  dowry  largely  deter- 
mined marriage  at  Rome,  and  a  larger  dowry  insured 
divorce ;  and  the  shameless  swapping  of  wives  for  money 
considerations  excited  no  surprise. 

3.  The  gravest  immoralities  were  prevalent.  Infanti- 
cide   was    common,    just   as    it    is    to-day  among  pagan 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  13 

nations.  Especially  were  female  children  put  out  of  the 
way.  This  was  true  of  children  born  in  wedlock  as  well 
as  the  illegitimate.  Fornication  was  justified  and  sodomy 
was  a  boasted  iniquity.  Paul's  picture  of  paganism,  as 
it  existed  in  the  Roman  Empire,  is  not  overdrawn ;  Rom. 
i.  24-32.  The  heathen  to-day  admit  that  they  also  an- 
swer to  his  description  of  the  Gentile  world. 

4.  Lust  flourished  under  religious  sanctions.  The 
passions  were  all  deified.  Bacchus  was  the  god  of  revelry 
and  drunkenness,  and  the  Bacchanalian  orgies  were 
largely  patronized  and  practiced.  Venus  was  the  goddess 
of  lust,  and  her  votaries  made  no  secret  of  their  licentious 
worship  and  their  prostitutions  in  honor  of  their  goddess. 
A  thousand  harlots  were  kept  at  public  expense  at  her 
temple  at  Athens.  The  gorgeous  magnificence  of  Daphne 
in  Egypt  baffles  all  description.  Taste  and  culture,  music, 
painting,  and  sculpture  were  exhausted  to  adorn  and 
beautify  the  altars  and  temples  and  groves  and  gardens, 
where  the  foulest  orgies  were  frequented  by  their  votaries 
from  all  the  world. 

5.  Human  sacrifices  were  made  to  their  gods  in  many 
places.  These  degenerated  into  gladiatorial  shows  and 
fighting  with  wild  beasts  in  the  arena.  Rome's  proudest 
day  witnessed  uncounted  multitudes  in  the  great  amphi- 
theatre, and  conspicuous  among  them  were  Augustus  and 
his  court,  all  clad  in  their  holiday  garb  of  regal  splendor, 
and  the  noblest  Roman  families,  vicing  with  each  other 
in  their  magnificent  display.  We  may  almost  hear  their 
cries  and  shouts  of  frantic  joy  when  a  favorite  gladiator 
draws  the  life-blood  of  his  antagonist,  or  pours  out  his 
own  in  bravest  fight ;  little  cared  they  which. 

All  these  several  items  tell  us  of  a  degenerate  and 
effete  paganism.  But  we  must  not  overdraw  the  picture. 
These  things  were  on  the  surface,  and  were  the  flowering 


14  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

out  of  failing  false  religions ;  but  the  middle  and  lower 
classes  were  not  so  bad,  else  they  had  all  perished  in  their 
own  putrescence. 

Philosophy  had  run  a  shorter  career  of  failure.  It 
had  to  be  proven  that  "the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not 
God,"  and  the  experiment  was  fairly  made.  The  Greek 
philosophies  prevailed  throughout  the  Roman  Empire 
without  controversy  or  conflict  with  the  superstitions  of 
paganism,  as  suited  to  the  exoteric  circle ;  while  the 
votaries  of  the  popular  religions  aped  the  prevailing 
philosophies  and  sought  access  to  their  charmed  esoteric 
circle.  The  natural  and  necessary  result  of  all  this  was 
the  more  rapid  decadence  of  popular  faiths  and  a  ten- 
dency to  universal  skepticism. 

These  philosophies  covered  the  whole  range  of  the 
learning  of  their  day.  They  included  an  ontology,  a 
cosmogony,  a  psychology,  a  theology,  an  ethical  system, 
and  a  scheme  of  redemption,  but  in  no  proper  sense  a 
religion.     They  were  atheistic,  theistic,  or  trinitarian. 

They  were  in  no  proper  sense  the  original  products  of 
the  philosophers  whose  names  they  bear.  The  systems 
were  all  eclectic,  modified  in  the  transmission  from  school 
to  school.  No  man  was  considered  a  great  teacher  till  he 
had  travelled  and  studied  in  the  East,  which  was  regarded 
as  the  fountain  head.  Pythagoras  and  Plato,  the  two 
fathers  of  Greek  philosophy,  travelled  and  studied  many 
years  in  the  East.  They  studied  Sabianism  in  Egypt ; 
Magianism  in  Central  Asia ;  the  Brahminical  philosophy 
in  India;  and  Judaism  in  contact  with  all  these.  They 
copied,  adopted,  and  taught  what  they  fancied,  and 
worked  up  the  eclectic  materials  gathered  thus ;  and  as 
they  taught  admiring  disciples,  they  elaborated  the  sys- 
tems that  bear  their  names. 

Out  of  these  grew  the  Epicurean  and  Stoical  schools 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  15 

with  their  rival  ethical  systems.  Under  these  two  ban- 
ners, the  civilized  world  was  arrayed  for  several  genera- 
tions. The  one  culminated  in  a  hopeless  fatalism,  and  the 
other  in  a  licentious  materialism. 

The  experiment  was  fairly  made.  Philosophy  fostered 
a  universal  skepticism,  and  had  no  power  to  renovate  a 
decaying  social  and  religious  life.  All  man-made  devices 
and  hopes  were  set  aside  by  the  logic  of  results  and 
looked  vainly  for  vindication. 

Judaism,  like  salt,  averted  universal  decay.  We  find 
here  the  purpose  and  the  value  of  the  dispersion.  Here 
was  the  first  great  fulfilment  of  the  promise  made  to 
Abraham,  "In  thee  shall  all  nations  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."  We  may  not,  in  this  connection,  elaborate  this 
great  fact.  Suffice  it  now  to  say  that  the  synagogue  was 
the  centre  of  religious  life  in  every  hamlet,  town  and  city 
throughout  the  Roman  Empire,  and  great  numbers  of 
Gentile  proselytes  were  gathered  in,  waiting  for  the 
"Hope  of  Israel." 

Judaism  had  served  its  temporary  purpose.  It  had 
saved  the  oracles  of  God  against  the  time  of  universal 
apostasy,  and  stood  as  a  witness-bearer  to  the  truth 
against  all  comers.  The  time  had  come  for  its  unfolding 
out  of  its  protecting  sheaf  into  Christianity.  The  syna- 
gogue and  its  Gentile  proselytes  largely  accepted  Christ, 
when  they  were  convinced  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ.  So 
the  fulness  of  time  was  come,  "And  God  sent  forth  his 
Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  under  the  law,  to  redeem 
them  that  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  receive  the 
adoption  of  sons."  (Gal.  iv.  4.) 


CHAPTER  II. 

Who  is  the  Lord?     Who  is  Christ? 

IT  IS  the  purpose  of  this  chapter  to  show  that  the 
Hebrew  name  translated  LORD,  in  capitals,  in  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures,  is  the  specific  name  of  the 
second  person  of  the  Trinity,  and  was  so  used  from  the 
beginning.  The  Hebrew  name  is  transliterated  some- 
times into  Jehovah,  especially  in  a  few  compound  forms. 
It  is  translated  "I  AM,"  in  Exodus  iii.  7,  14.  Modern 
scholars  are  disposed  to  transliterate  it  into  Jahveh  and 
other  cognate  spellings,  contending  that  the  name  is  a 
future  tense,  and  ought  to  be  so  translated,  if  translated 
at  all.  This  name  is  the  only  word  in  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures, the  pointing  of  which  does  not  essay  to  give  the 
traditional  pronunciation,  because  tl-e  name  was  nevei 
pronounced  in  later  times,  on  account  of  some  supersti- 
tion. One  of  the  two  other  Divine  titles  was  read  for  it 
wherever  it  occurred,  and  it  was  pointed  accordingly. 
The  unpointed  Hebrew  word  is  a  future  form  of  the  verb 
"to  be"  following  the  analogy  of  very  many  other  nouns 
formed  on  verbal  roots.  Such  future  forms  do  not 
ipso  facto  carry  future  signification  with  them.  We 
are  not  justified  therefore,  in  dogmatizing  on  the  mere 
etymological  structure  of  the  name,  certainly  not  at  the 
outset  of  this  discussion.  Whatever  value  may  attach  to 
this  hypothesis,  will  be  cited  for  confirmation  later  on. 
He  is  called  "An  Angel,"  and  "The  Angel  of  the  Lord" 
in  divers  places,  as  in  Exodus  iii.  2.  In  all  such  con- 
nections, we  find  that  Jehovah  himself  is  the  person  so 
designated,  evidently  called  an  Angel,  because  he  is  r 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  17 

messenger  appearing  for  a  purpose,  in  execution  of  a 
commission.  Many  maintain  that  "Malak  Jehovah"  are 
appositive  words,  which  is  probably  true,  though  not 
necessary  to  this  exposition.  The  theophanic  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Lord  in  creature  form  was  as  distinctly  spoken 
of  by  the  Lord  himself  in  the  third  person  as  was  the 
Incarnate  Son,  the  Messiah,  in  after  times,  both  in 
prophecy  and  history.  We  shall  have  occasion  to  illus- 
trate this  more  fully  in  the  sequel. 

He  is  also  called  a  ''man"  in  numerous  passages,  as  in 
Gen.  xviii.  i,  2,  13;  xxxii.  24;  Josh.  v.  13,  etc.  The  con- 
text in  each  case  shows  that  the  Lord  appeared  in  human 
form  to  instruct  or  to  comfort.  Hence  the  name  man 
does  not  mislead. 

It  is  now  proper  to  determine  the  actual  personality  of 
this  "Man/'  "Angel,"  "Jehovah,"  "Jahveh,"  by  an  induc- 
tion of  all  the  essential  facts. 

I.  He  was  the  Creator  of  all  things.  In  the  first  chap- 
ter of  Genesis  and  the  first  three  verses  of  the  second 
chapter,  God  is  named  as  the  Creator  in  the  general  out- 
line account  of  the  first  seven  days.  But  in  Exo.  xx.  11, 
the  whole  of  those  thirty-six  verses  is  summed  up  in 
these  words :  "For  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and 
earth,  the  sea  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  sev- 
enth day :  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day 
and  hallowed  it."  These  words  were  articulately  spoken 
on  the  mountain  by  him  who  introduced  himself  as  the 
"Lord  thy  God,  which  have  brought  thee  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage."  Creation  is 
thus  limited  to  him.  This  accords  exactly  with  the  added 
statement  of  details  of  creation  as  found  in  the  second 
chapter  of  Genesis,  beginning  at  verse  four,  where  the 
Creator  is  in  every  case  called  "Jehovah  God."  This 
limitation  of  the  personality  of  the  Creator  prevails 
throughout  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures. 


i8  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

II.  He  was  the  law-giver  and  the  judge  from  the  be- 
ginning. He  was  the  author  of  the  covenant  of  works  in 
the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  when  it  was  broken,  he  passed 
sentence  on  all  the  parties  as  of  right.  That  he  was  also 
the  proper  ruler  of  all  need  hardly  be  said,  with  full  power 
and  authority  to  enforce  every  sentence,  or  to  mitigate 
and  postpone  the  penalties  in  the  interest  of  sovereign 
mercy. 

III.  He  was  the  object  and  expounder  of  the  earliest 
worship,  as  he  was  likewise  of  all  that  came  after  in 
later  dispensations.  This  abundantly  appears  in  the 
fourth  chapter  of  Genesis^  for  Cain  and  Abel  brought 
each  an  "offering  unto  the  Lord."  He  decided  the  merits 
of  each  by  accepting  the  one  and  rejecting  the  other; 
and  in  his  rebuke  of  Cain,  he  expounded  the  necessity 
of  the  sin-offering  for  the  sinner,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  he  convicted  him  of  sin.  There  is  no  need  to  cite 
in  this  connection  the  sacrifices,  prayers,  vows  and  cov- 
enants of  Noah  and  the  patriarchs,  and  repeated  theo- 
phanies,  to  show  that  they  worshipped  him  and  were 
taught  by  him.  The  first  commandment  spoken  by  him 
seals  the  case  for  all  time :  "Thou  shalt  have  no  other 
gods  before  me." 

rV.  He  was  the  accepted  God  of  providence  from  the 
beginning.  Eve  said :  "I  have  gotten  a  man  from  the 
Lord."  "The  Lord  set  a  mark  upon  Cain,  lest  any 
finding  him  should  slay  him."  In  covenanting  with  Noah, 
he  gave  assurance  that,  "while  the  earth  remaineth,  seed- 
time and  harvest,  and  cold  and  heat,  and  summer  and 
winter,  and  day  and  night  shall  not  cease."  The  Old 
Testament  Scriptures  represent  him  as  giving  the  early 
and  the  latter  rains,  as  measuring  the  span  of  human  life, 
as  opening  his  hand  and  supplying  every  living  thing,  as 
guiding  the  wind  in  his  circuits,  and  stretching  out  the 
heavens,  and  guiding  all  by  his  hand. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  19 

V.  He  claims  to  be  divine ;  was  so  recognized  every- 
where except  by  apostates,  and  is  called  God  throughout 
Moses  and  the  Prophets.  He  says  on  Sinai:  "I  am  the 
Lord  thy  God;"  by  Isaiah,  "I  am  the  Lord,  and  there 
is  none  else,  there  is  no  God  beside  me;"  and  so  every- 
where. "The  Lord,  he  is  the  God,"  was  the  decision  of 
the  contest  at  Carmel  against  the  apostate  Ahab  and  the 
priests  of  Baal.  Pharaoh  in  Egypt,  who  knew  not  Joseph, 
rejected  his  divine  authority  and  entered  the  lists  backed 
by  the  magicians  to  assert  the  supremacy  of  the  gods  of 
Egypt,  and  he  and  his  people  were  ground  to  powder. 
All  the  names  and  attributes  of  essential  divinity  are 
ascribed  to  him  and  claimed  by  him. 

VL  Israel  entered  into  theocratic  covenant  with  him  at 
Mount  Sinai,  having  made  a  preliminary  covenant 
through  Moses  in  Egypt.  By  this  covenant  at  Sinai  he 
became  their  civil  head  and  king.  In  this  double  rela- 
tion of  God  and  king,  he  gave  the  law  at  Sinai,  and  set 
up  the  Sinaitic  codes,  moral,  religious,  ecclesiastical,  po- 
litical, civil  and  social.  He  was  their  leader  out  of  Egypt, 
and  Moses  was  his  deputy.  At  Sinai  and  in  the  wilder- 
ness, he  punished  and  pardoned  their  sins,  and  they  were 
frequent  witnesses  of  his  glory,  power,  goodness  and 
wrath.  Did  they  understand  all  these  things?  There 
can  be  no  doubt  of  it,  though  they  were  so  often  stiff- 
necked  and  rebellious.  When  they  set  up  their  ritualistic 
idolatry  at  Mount  Sinai,  contrary  to  the  second  command- 
ment, they  bore  their  punishments  by  the  sword  and  the 
plague  with  some  appearance  of  fortitude ;  but  when  the 
Lord  announced  a  purpose  to  lead  them  no  longer,  but  to 
commit  them  to  the  leadership  of  a  mere  angel,  a  creature 
of  limited  power  and  wisdom,  they  were  filled  with  the 
greatest  grief  and  amazement  and  broke  down  utterly. 
They  wanted  their  divine  leader  or  none,  even  at  the 


20  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

risk  of  being  consumed  in  the  way  for  their  stiffness  of 
neck.  Moses  shared  their  grief  and  consternation,  and 
so  interceded  with  him,  that  he  not  only  resumed  sus- 
pended relations,  but  renewed  his  covenant  to  ''do  mar- 
vels" and  to  put  them  in  possession  of  Canaan.  In 
Exodus  xxiii.  20-25,  he  is  called  "An  Angel"  and  "Mine 
Angel,"  who  was  under  covenant  appointment  to  do  the 
same  for  them.  From  this,  and  from  similar  passages, 
theologians  derive  the  name  "Angel  of  the  Covenant," 
and  the  reason  is  obvious.  Israel  was  familiar  with  the 
fact  that  their  Lord  God  was  a  "messenger,"  and  so  far 
at  least  occupied  a  subordinate  position. 

VII.  Did  they  not  also  recognize  his  position  as 
mediator?  The  answer  is  easy,  if  we  admit  that  they 
understood  the  simplest  symbolisms  of  their  own  system. 
Their  priest  was  a  type  of  the  true  mediator ;  their 
prophet  also  did  mediatorial  work  for  another ;  tlieir  king 
was  only  a  viceroy,  a'  typical  mediatorial  king.  Their 
Lord  God  administered  and  executed  His  several  func- 
tions of  prophet,  priest  and  king  in  three  typical  forms  of 
human  office  and  officers,  which  directly  symbolized  him. 
The  three  were  gods  to  the  people  in  the  same  sense  in 
which  Moses  was  a  god  to  Aaron  and  also  to  Pharaoh. 
Every  bloody  sacrifice  spoke  of  a  ransom  by  a  Redeemer. 
Redemption  is  a  mediatorial  function.  Redeemer  was 
his  darling  name,  and  redemption  his  specific  preroga- 
tive. Jacob  and  Job  spake  of  him  as  their  Redeemer. 
David  and  Isaiah  abound  in  extolling  this  supreme  rela- 
tion of  the  Lord  to  his  people.  His  redemption  is  set 
forth  as  past,  present  and  future.  His  favorite  name  is 
Goel,  the  one  who,  as  a  blood-brother,  redeems  blood  with 
blood,  life  with  life.  Here  the  mediatorial  idea  is  funda- 
mental, and  was  far  more  familiar  to  the  oriental  mind 
than  to  lis. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  21 

Every  theophany  was  a  prophecy  of  the  incarnation, 
every  sacrificial  victim  pointed  to  the  sin-bearer,  every 
burnt  offering  proclaimed  the  body  to  be  prepared  for  him, 
the  shed  blood  foreshowed  his  blood,  his  life,  to  redeem 
forfeited  life.  He  promised  to  come  in  person  to  glorify 
the  second  temple,  and  to  compensate  its  other  deficien- 
cies. He  promised  to  send  himself  as  Messiah,  Servant, 
Redeemer,  Prince  of  Peace,  Immaniiel,  and  Saviour,  suf- 
fering and  triumphant. 

Vni.  The  doctrine  of  the  Spirit  is  equally  as  promi- 
nent and  patent  from  Genesis  to  Malachi,  called  "God's 
Spirit/'  the  "Spirit  of  the  Lord,"  ''My  Spirit,"  and 
having  a  divinity  and  personality  as  indisputable  as  the 
Lord  himself.  His  position  and  relations  to  Jehovah  in 
his  specific  works  of  creation,  providence  and  redemption 
make  him  the  co-ordinate  agent,  or  rather,  the  efficient 
instrument  (words  may  not  properly  define  it),  and 
equally  subordinate  in  execution,  with  a  super-added  pro- 
cession from  the  Lord  himself. 

We  are  now  in  a  position  to  recognize  "Elohim,"  to 
whom  are  ascribed,  in  a  general  way,  all  divine  attributes 
and  works,  as  the  First  Person  in  the  Godhead  centering 
in  himself  the  three  personalities,  and  so  giving  his  name 
to  the  Three  in  One,  and  before  whom,  and  to  whom,  and 
by  whose  commission  the  Lord  executed  his  mediatorial 
work  under  the  covenant  of  grace. 

The  word  "El" — Elohe — plural  Elohim — is  used  in 
three  senses  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  just  as  the 
word  "God"  in  English  and  Theos  in  the  New  Testament. 

1st.  Divinity  or  deity  as  opposed  to  humanity;  2nd. 
The  Godhead,  embracing  all  three  persons ;  and  3rd.  The 
first  person,  God  the  Father.  It  is  easy  to  determine 
from  the  connection  in  which  sense  the  term  God  is  used 
to-day;  and  in  the  same  way  we  determine,  from  the 
context,  in  which  sense  it  is  used  in  the  Scriptures. 


22  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

There  is  no  categorical  statement  and  definition  of  the 
Trinity  in  either  Testament,  nor  of  either  person  in  the 
Godhead.  The  facts  were  universally  accepted  and  were 
as  well  understood  as  the  duafity  of  man.  The  duality  of 
man  was  never  attacked  until  the  rise  of  Sadduceeism, 
which  sect  also  seemed  to  be  the  most  malignant  oppo- 
nents of  the  claims  of  Christ.  It  is  now  so  plain  that  the 
doctrine  of  a  Tri-une  God  was  held  outside  of  the  Jewish 
people  and  anterior  to  Mosaic  writings,  that  the  enemies 
of  the  Bible  openly  charge  that  the  doctrine  is  of  heathen 
origin  and  was  adopted  from  Egypt  by  the  Hebrew  law- 
giver. In  New  Testament  times,  the  Pharisees  did  not  so 
much  question  the  doctrine  itself  as  the  claims  of  Christ 
to  be  the  "Son"  and  "Lord." 

It  would  seem  sufficient  to  rest  the  argument  here,  but 
for  these  facts :  The  Jews  of  the  present  day  are  Unitar- 
ians, and  some  who  call  themselves  Christians  are  of  like 
faith ;  and,  what  concerns  us  more,  many  of  the  straitest 
orthodoxy,  when  answering  the  question,  "what  think 
you  of  Christ,"  fail  to  recognize  the  name  Jehovah  as  the 
specific  name  of  the  second  person  in  the  Trinity,  but 
make  it  the  "incommunicable  name  of  God,"  and  apply 
it  loosely  to  the  Godhead  and  to  either  person  of  the 
Trinity.  Others  tell  us  that  it  is  the  "covenant  name  of 
God,"  but  may,  or  may  not  signify  the  second  person. 
Others  again,  who  agree  substantially  with  the  theory  of 
this  paper,  are  free  to  admit  that  they  have  not  recognized 
it  in  a  clear-cut  way  in  their  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and 
in  their  prayers  and  preaching. 

IX.  It  becomes  necessary,  therefore,  to  go  to  the  New 
Testament  for  confirmation  of  these  views.  This  we 
can  do  without  contravening  the  fact  that  Christ  and  his 
apostles  rested  all  their  claims  on  the  older  Scriptures. 
It  is  legitimate  to  show  that  the  men  of  Christ's  day  held 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  23 

this  view  prior  to  and  independently  of  his  claims  and 
teaching.  It  is  legitimate  for  confirmation  to  show  that 
those  who  rejected  him  and  those  who  accepted  him,  alike 
accepted  the  sonship  of  the  Lord  Jehovah.  The  burning 
question  was  this:  "Is  the  man  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord  of 
glory  ?" 

It  might  be  well  to  notice  here  that  the  name  Jehovah 
is  used  over  seven  thousand  times  in  the  Old  Testament, 
and  is  uniformly  rendered  "kurios"  (Lord)  in  the  Sep- 
tuagint  version.  It  is  often  qualified  by  the  appositive 
"adonai"  (my  Lord),  which  often  displaces  it,  and  is 
rendered  in  the  same  way.  The  use  of  the  name  and  its 
equivalent,  both  in  the  Hebrew  and  Septuagint,  is  so 
numerous  and  closely  continuous  that  we  are  irresistably 
led  to  conclude  that  the  name  Jehovah  and  knrios  (Lord) 
belong  to  the  same  recognized  personality.  And  where- 
ever  adonai  and  its  equivalent,  knrios,  refers  to  any  one 
else,  it  is  clearly  so  indicated  in  the  context.  The  same 
means  of  discrimination  is  easy  in  the  New  Testament, 
where,  in  the  sense  of  sir,  master,  or  my  lord,  it  is  found 
applied  to  persons  lower  than  divinity. 

Except  as  thus  applied,  the  New  Testament  use  of  the 
word  Lord  is  to  name  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  God- 
man,  the  Second  Person,  the  Eternal  Son,  "which  is  and 
was  and  is  to  come,"  the  "Lord  God  Almighty." 

X.  It  remains  to  identify  the  Lord  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment with  the  Lord  of  the  New.  If  a  man  familiar  with 
the  Septuagint  should  read  on  for  the  first  time  into  the 
Gospels  and  then  on  into  the  Acts  and  into  the  Epistles 
and  on  through  Revelation,  he  would  find  himself 
strangely  at  home,  in  familiar  scenes,  familiar  names,  fa- 
miliar ideas,  and  familiar  terminology.  At  no  place  will 
he  pass,  even  by  insensible  gradations,  into  new  appli- 
cations and  significations  of  the  words  and  names  which 


24  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

were  the  common  property  of  all  that  generation ;  other- 
wise, the  trend  of  the  teaching  would  be  fallacious  in 
the  last  degree. 

Let  him  start  with  Luke's  Gospel.  In  the  account  of 
Zachariah's  vision,  he  reads  such  words  as  these :  "Walk- 
ing in  the  commandments  and  ordinances  of  the  Lord 
blameless ;"  "An  angel  of  the  Lord ;"  "The  temple  of  the 
Lord ;"  "He  shall  be  great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and 
shall  drink  neither  wine  nor  strong  drink;  and  he  shall 
be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  (Spirit),  even  from  his 
mother's  womb.  And  many  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall 
he  turn  to  the  Lord  their  God.  And  he  shall  go  before 
him  (who?)  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias;"  "to 
make  ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord."  What  an 
array  of  the  "stock  phrases"  of  the  Old  Testament  re- 
peated in  their  invariable  and  necessary  significance. 

He  reads  further:  "His  wife  Elizabeth  conceived  and 
hid  herself  five  months,  saying,  'Thus  hath  the  Lord 
dealt  with  me' — 'to  take  away  my  reproach  among  men.' " 
He  reads  next  of  Mary :  "a  virgin"  '^'of  the  House  of 
David,"  and  the  "angel  Gabriel."  He  says  to  Mary, 
"The  Lord  be  with  thee;"  "Thou  shalt  bring  forth  a  son 
and  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus ;"  "He  shall  be  called  The 
Son  of  the  Highest;"  "and  the  Lord  God  shall  give  him 
the  throne  of  his  father  David;"  "He  shall  be  called  the 
Son  of  God."  He  reads  again  of  Mary's  visit  to  Eliza- 
beth, who  said :  "whence  is  this  to  me  that  the  mother  of 
my  Lord  should  come  to  me?"  And  then  Mary's  won- 
drous song,  beginning,  "My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord, 
and  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour." 

Passing  by  familiar  landmarks,  he  reads  again  the 
burning  words  of  Zacharias:  "Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel :  for  he  hath  visited  and  redeemed  his  people, 
and  hath  raised  up  a  horn  of  salvation  in  the  house  of  his 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  25 

servant  David;  as  he  spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy 
prophets  which  have  been  since  the  world  began ;"  ''and 
thou  child  shalt  be  called  the  prophet  of  the  Highest ;  for 
thou  shalt  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  to  prepare  his 
ways." 

In  the  second  chapter  he  reads  in  the  story  of  the  shep- 
herds, and  of  the  presentation,  and  in  the  prophecies  of 
Anna  and  Simeon,  repeated  expressions  like  these : 
"Angel  of  the  Lord ;"  "Glory  of  the  Lord ;"  "A  Saviour, 
which  is  Christ  the  Lord ;"  "To  present  him  to  the  Lord  ;" 
"Law  of  the  Lord;"  "Lord's  Christ;"  "Mine  eyes  have 
seen  thy  salvation." 

These  numerous  quotations  are  taken  from  these  two 
chapters  of  Luke,  at  the  risk  of  being  tedious,  to  illus- 
trate the  use  of  the  term  Lord,  by  those  familiar  only  with 
the  Hebrew  and  Greek  usage  of  "Jehovah"  and  ''Lord" 
in  Moses  and  the  Prophets.  A  glance  identifies  their 
Lord  with  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem,  and  John  as  his 
promised  forerunner.  Zacharias,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  the 
Angelic  host,  the  shepherds,  Anna,  and  Simeon  all  so 
understood  it.  As  we  read  through  this  Gospel  and  the 
others,  and  the  remaining  Books  of  the  New  Testament, 
we  find  the  same  obvious  identification  of  the  Lord 
Jehovah  as  the  incarnate  Christ,  at  the  very  foundation 
of  the  history  and  the  doctrine  alike. 

Some  minds,  however,  are  much  more  impressed  by 
more  definite  categorical  statements.  We  may,  there- 
fore, cite  a  few  of  these.  In  John  i.  1-14,  the  Word  who 
"became  flesh"  is  declared  to  be  divine  and  of  eternal  co- 
ordination with  God,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  the  true 
Light  of  whom  John  was  sent  to  bear  witness,  "the  only 
begotten  Son  which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,"  and 
much  more  to  the  same  purpose.  The  identification  is 
obvious,  but  the  tenth  verse  needs  special  emphasis :    "He 


26  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

was  in  the  world  and  the  world  was  made  by  him,  and 
the  world  knew  him  not."  A  careful  reading  will  show 
that  verses  ii,  12,  13,  also  refer  to  his  mediatorial  and 
redemptive  work  before  he  "became  flesh  and  dwelt 
among  us."  It  is  pertinent  here  to  cite  the  fact  that  the 
"Word"  in  John  is  the  "Wisdom  who  was  set  up  and 
anointed  from  everlasting  before  all  worlds,  first  to 
create,  then  to  uphold  and  govern,  and  judge,  and  after- 
wards to  redeem  and  save  the  world;  all  which  works 
are,  in  Scripture,  ascribed  to  the  Son  of  God."  (Cruden). 
Compare  the  eighth  chapter  of  Proverbs,  in  which  this 
glorious  attribute,  "Wisdom/'  is  made  also  the  eternal 
fellow  of  the  Creator,  Revealer  and  Redeemer,  and  is 
adopted  as  his  name.  It  would  be  interesting  here  to 
trace  the  use  of  this  name  Wisdom,  Logos,  Word,  Memra, 
in  the  Targums  and  in  the  Hindoo  and  Greek  philoso- 
phies, to  express  this  second  person  in  the  Godhead,  but 
time  would  fail,  to  say  nothing  of  the  difficulties  of  the 
exploitation. 

In  I  Corinthians  x.  4,  9,  we  have  the  identification 
complete :  "They  did  all  eat  the  same  spiritual  meat  and 
they  did  all  drink  of  the  same  spiritual  drink ;  for  they 
drank  of  that  spiritual  Rock  which  followed  them  and  that 
Rock  was  Christ."  "Neither  let  us  tempt  Christ  as  some 
of  them  also  tempted,  and  were  destroyed  of  serpents." 
No  comment  is  needed.  So  also  in  Hebrews  iii.  14,  15: 
'Tor  we  are  made  partakers  of  Christ  if  we  hold  the 
beginning  of  our  confidence  steadfast  unto  the  end :  While 
it  is  said,  To-day  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not 
your  hearts  as  in  the  provocation ;"  and  in  iv.  2 :  "For 
unto  us  was  the  Gospel  preached  as  well  as  unto  them." 

Abraham  saw  the  day  of  the  LORD.  Christ  says : 
"Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  my  day;  he  saw  it  and  was 
glaB."    When  the  Jews  cavilled  he  said :  "Before  Abra- 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  27 

ham  was,  I  am."  They  took  up  stones  to  stone  him,  so 
enraged  were  they  that  he  should  identify  himself  with 
Abraham's  Lord  and  theirs.     (John  viii.  56-59.) 

These  quotations  might  be  multiplied  indefinitely.  It 
is  much  more  to  the  purpose  to  insist  upon  it  that  the 
Scriptures  represent  him  as  the  mediator  of  all  the  cov- 
enants, "the  one  mediator  between  God  and  man,"  and 
that  the  quotations  and  applications  of  Old  Testament 
history,  type,  and  prophecy  are  so  numerous  and  con- 
tinuous as  to  constrain  us  to  recognize  the  two  Lords  as 
one  Jehovah — Jahveli — Christ.  The  only  escape  from  this 
conclusion  is  the  recent  hypothesis  that  all  these  quota- 
tions from  the  Old  are  but  fanciful  adaptations  made  by 
the  admiring,  but  ignorant,  writers  of  the  New  Testament. 

If  now  we  accept  the  suggestion  that  the  true  name 
of  the  LORD  is  Jahveh,  and  carries  with  it  the  future 
sense  as  is  apparently  implied  in  its  future  participial 
formation,  then  the  very  name  points  to  the  promised 
seed — "He  that  will  be."  The  Septuagint  renders  it  by 
the  present  participial  form,  "'he  that  is,"  which  form  of 
liis  name  is  found  expanded  in  Rev.  i.  8:  ''He  that  is 
and  was  and  is  to  come."  This  triple  designation  is  used 
as-  a  proper  name,  and  governed  by  a  preposition,  and 
under  that  designation  he  is  twice  called  "The  Lord  God, 
the  Ruler  of  all  things." 

I  find  but  one  serious  difficulty  in  accepting  the  con- 
clusions of  this  discussion.  There  are  numerous  passages 
like  these,  'T  will  send  mine  Angel;"  "The  LORD  said 
unto  my  Lord,  thou  art  my  Son ;"  "He  shall  send  them  a 
Saviour;"  and  such  like.  Such  passages  abound  in  the 
Prophets.  The  LORD  speaks  of  the  Son,  the  Saviour, 
the  Servant,  the  Messiah,  the  Shiloh,  the  Redeemer,  in 
the  third  person  as  one  commissioned  by  him,  sent  by 
him,  and  executing  his  will.  How  then  can  he  be  speaking 


28  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

of  himself?  The  answer  is  easy  as  to  the  Messiah.  The 
man  Christ  Jesus,  the  personal  God-man,  was  and  is  and 
will  always  continue  to  be  two  natures  in  one  person 
forever;  but  he  was  not  yet  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
It  was,  therefore,  both  natural  and  right  that  the  LORD 
speak  of  his  own  Incarnate  Self  in  the  third  person.  The 
same  principle  applies  to  the  theophanic  manifestations  of 
himself  in  some  form  of  concrete  visible  bodily  presence, 
which  itself  also  was  a  type  and  prophecy  of  the  incar- 
nation. 

We  may  sum  up  the  conclusions  reached  in  this  dis- 
cussion : 

1.  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  is  the  surface  doctrine, 
the  foundation  principle,  and  the  all-pervading  teaching 
of  the  Scriptures,  from  Genesis  to  Revelation. 

2.  The  name  Jehovah  is  the  specific  name  of  the  second 
Person,  and  all  the  works  of  creation,  providence  and  re- 
demption are  ascribed  to  him. 

3.  He  is  the  mediator  of  all  the  covenants,  the  seed  of 
the  woman,  the  seed  of  Abraham,  Lord  and  Christ, 
prophet,  priest  and  king,  God  blessed  forevermore. 

We  may  be  allowed  to  suggest  one  inference  from  this 
doctrine.  We  find  here  the  highest  unity  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. The  one  personal  LORD  is  the  Creator,  the  Re- 
vealer,  the  Mediator,  the  Saviour,  the  Redeefiier,  and 
will  be  the  final  judge.  He  is  the  author,  agent,  and  end 
of  the  whole ;  type  and  anti-type,  prophecy  and  fulfilment, 
originate  and  meet  in  him.  Bible  teachings  of  doc- 
trine and  morals  are  all  as  holy,  just,  and  good  as  him- 
self. He  ever  has  been  and  still  is  head  over  all  things 
to  the  Church,  and  shall  reign  till  all  his  enemies  are  put 
under  his  feet;  and  then  cometh  the  end. 


CHAPTER  III. 

His   Names   and  Titles. 

WE  ARE  now  prepared  to  assume,  without  further 
proof,  that  the  Lord  of  the  Old  Testament  is 
the  Lord  of  the  New,  and  that  Jehovah,  the  eternal  Son 
of  God,  is  the  incarnate  Son  as  set  forth  in  type  and  pro- 
phecy. We  may  assume,  further,  that  all  the  names  and 
titles  given  him  in  either  Testament  need  careful  con- 
sideration. We  shall  find  these  names  and  titles  to  be 
very  numerous.  Indeed,  language  seems  to  be  exhausted 
in  setting  forth  his  person,  his  character,  his  attributes, 
his  offices,  his  work,  his  relations  to  God  and  man,  and 
especially  to  the  redemption  of  the  human  race.  While 
the  entire  Scriptures  testify  of  him,  the  best  introduction 
to  our  study  of  him  would  seem  to  be  found  in  his  names 
and  titles.  These  are  so  numerous,  overlapping  each  other 
so  in  their  significance,  and  are  all  so  pertinent  and  nec- 
essary to  each  other,  that  they  reveal  him  fully  to  our 
faith.  His  names  and  titles  give  us  the  entire  Gospel  in 
brief  and  exhaustive  definition. 

We  shall  not  attempt  a  scientific  classification  of  them, 
but  shall  seek  to  follow  a  natural  and  easy  order,  group- 
ing those  that  are  nearly  synonymous,  and  then  those 
that  may  be  cognate.  Definition  and  illustration,  rather 
than  -discussion,  is  our  aim.  A  portrait  is  the  combined 
result  of  truthful  strokes  of  tlie  artist's  brush.  May  we 
not  aspire  so  to  combine  his  names  and  titles  that  we 
shall  have  a  portraiture  of  himself  and  his  glorious  Gos- 
pel ?    It  is  competent  for  us  to  gather  his  names  and  titles 


30  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

from  both  Testaments,  for  he  is  the  author  of  them  both, 
and  both  treat  of  him. 

1.  His  specific  name  is  Jehovah.  It  occurs  seven  thous- 
and times  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  is  translated  Lord. 
His  disciples  called  him  Lord  throughout  the  New  Tes- 
tament, recognizing  loyally  his  divine  authority  over  all. 
The  terms  "King  of  kings"  and  "Lord  of  lords"  are 
properly  grouped  here,  so  also  "My  Lord  and  my  God." 
Also  the  "Lord  God"  numerously. 

2.  He  is  called  the  "Son  of  God,"  "The  well-beloved 
Son,"  "The  only  begotten  of  the  Father,"  "The  Son," 
and  such  like.  These  names  make  him  the  second  person 
in  the  Trinity,  the  eternal  Son  of  God.  All  evangelical 
and  orthodox  Christians  so  understand  it. 

3.  He  is  also  called  "The  Son  of  Man,"  because  he  was 
"born  of  a  woman,"  in  the  "likeness  of  sinful  flesh."  He 
was  human  as  well  as  divine — "Very  man  and  very 
God" — "two  distinct  natures  in  one  person  forever." 

4.  The  name  "Immanuel"  emphasizes  his  proper  di- 
vinity and  humanity — God  with  us.  It  is  expressed  by 
John :  "The  word  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us."  He 
was  "God  manifest  in  the  flesh,"  and  we  call  him  the 
Incarnate  Son  of  God. 

5.  "The  Almighty"  is  his  name,  because  he  is  infinite 
in  power,  as  seen  in  creation  and  providence.  This  is 
beautifully  and  sublimely  set  forth  in  Job,  chapters 
xxxviii.  to  xli.,  and  in  Isaiah,  chapter  xl.     See  Rev.  i.  8. 

6.  He  is  called  "The  Ancient  of  Days,"  because  age 
and  wisdom  meet  in  him.  He  said,  "Before  Abraham  was 
I  am."  The  Psalmist  says:  "From  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting thou  art  God."    Eternal  self-existence  is  his. 

7.  Cognate  to  this  is  his  name,  "The  Counsellor."  He 
guides  his  people  with  his  counsel.  When  we  lack  wis- 
dom and  ask  him,  "He  giveth  to  all  man  liberally."  "We 
took  sweet  counsel  together. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  31 

8.  He  is  "The  Wonderful."  He  combines  in  himself 
all  the  wondrous  attributes  of  the  Infinite  God.  "He  is 
glorious  in  holiness,  fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders." 
"Thou  art  the  God  that  doest  wonders."  "Thy  testi- 
monies are  wonderful."     He  is  wonderful  in  his  works. 

9.  He  is  called  "The  Angel,"  i.  e.,  the  messenger.  The 
prophet  says :  "My  Messenger."  In  the  earlier  mention 
he  is  the  Messenger  of  the  Covenant  with  Israel,  and  the 
theocratic  leader  out  of  Egypt  In  the  later  mention,  he 
is  the  Messenger  of  the  Covenant,  (Mai.  iii.  i,)  'the  Lord 
himself  coming  to  his  temple  to  save  and  purify  his  people* 

10.  Isaiah  names  him:  "My  righteous  servant,"  be- 
cause he  was  appointed  to  hard  and  dangerous  service,  in 
order  to  justify  many,  and  bear  the  sins  of  many."  The 
Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minis- 
ter." "He  took  upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant" — 
a  bond  slave. 

11.  He  is  called  "David  My  Servant"  and  "David  My 
King"  several  times  in  the.  later  prophets,  who  promise 
his  coming  to  his  temple  and  to  rule  over  his  people.  King 
David  was  a  type  of  the  true  king,  who  was  born  into 
the  world  to  this  end.  "He  shall  sit  upon  the  throne  of 
David  his  father,  and  of  his  dominion  there  shall  be  no 
end." 

12.  He  is  called  "The  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah."  The 
lion  among  beasts  represents  courage,  strength,  and  valor. 
In  Christ  is  fulfilled  Jacob's  prophecy  of  Judah.  He  com- 
pares him  to  a  lion's  whelp,  to  a  lion,  to  an  old  lion ; 
"Who  shall  rouse  him  up?"  (Gen.  xlix.  8-10.) 

13.  He  calls  himself  "Alpha  and  Omega,"  the  begin- 
ning and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last.  Three  times  he 
so  names  himself  and  gives  no  explanation  (Rev.  i.  8, 
etc).  He  may  refer  to  his  supreme  agency  from  creation 
to  the  consummation  of  all  things.     The  context  would, 


32  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

however,  seem  to  make  him  the  beginning  and  the  end  of 
our  salvation.  Or  it  may  include  both,  and  do  no  violence 
to  truth. 

14.  Three  times  he  applies  to  himself  as  a  proper  name, 
the  phrase,  "He,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is 
to  come."  This  would  seem  to  express  all  that  is  included 
in  the  name  Jehovah,  or  Jahveh,  throughout  the  Old 
Testament — the  eternal  self-existent  Son  of  God,  who 
promised  to  come,  has  come,  and  is  yet  to  come  in  clouds 
and  great  glory.     (Rev.  i.  8,  etc.) 

15.  John  called  him  "The  Word."  Wisdom  was  his 
name  in  Proverbs  and  other  places.  Under  this  name 
John  (i.  1-18)  sums  up  and  ascribes  to  him  divinity,  crea- 
tion, providence,  life,  light,  adoption,  regeneration,  in- 
carnation, grace,  truth  and  revelation  of  the  Father.  This 
name  marks  the  proper  transition  to  those  names  and 
titles  which  more  definitely  belong  to  him  as  the  friend 
of  sinners. 

16.  His  personal  name  is  Jesus — designated  to  Mary 
""in  vision  and  given  to  the  child  when  born.     This  was 

the  name  by  which  he  was  known  at  home  and  abroad,  by 
his  friends  and  by  his  enemies ;  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  to  dis- 
tinguish him  from  any  other  Jesus  or  Joshua.  His  name 
Jesus  was  inscribed  on  his  cross.  "Thou  shalt  call  his 
name  Jesus,  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
This  name  and  the  reason  of  it  contains  the  entire  Gospel 
in  a  word.  It  is  salvation  from  sin,  its  guilt,  its  conse- 
quences, its  dominion,  and  its  power. 

17.  Cognate  to  this  is  the  name  "Saviour,"  found  so 
numerously  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the  New,  but  it 
is  not  always  identical  in  meaning  and  usage.  In  the 
Old  Testament,  the  "Saviour"  was  the  deliverer  of  his 
people  from  such  temporal  evils  as  famine  and  pestilence ; 
while,   at    the    same   time,   he    was   none   the   less    their 


Studies  in  tpie  Life  of  Christ.  33 

Saviour  from  sin.  Disasters  often  befell  his  people  be- 
cause of  sin.  Their  salvation  was  deliverance  from  both, 
wrought  by  their  theocratic  ruler  and  Saviour.  Compare 
Psalm  xxvii.  This  sense  is  not  excluded  from  New  Tes- 
tament usage,  but  has  less  prominence,  because  of 
changed  administration.     Compare  Matthew  xiv.  30. 

18.  He  is  called  ''The  Christ/'  and  "Christ"  as  in  com- 
pound forms  "Jesus  Christ,"  and  "Christ  Jesus."  He  is 
called  "The  Lord's  Anointed"  also,  and  "The  Holy  One," 
and  also  "The  Messiah."  These  several  names  may  be 
grouped  as  one,  because  they  are  all  translations  of  one 
and  the  same  generic  idea  into  several  languages.  Men 
were  set  apart  in  the  olden  times  to  official  position  and 
function  by  anointing  with  oil.  Aaron  and  his  sons  were 
anointed  to  be  priests ;  David  was  anointed  to  be  king ; 
Elijah  anointed  Elisha  to  be  prophet.  Those  who  were 
anointed  with  holy  oil  were  holy  to  the  Lord,  set  apart, 
consecrated  to  special  service.  These  all  were  types  of 
the  Lord's  Anointed,  The  Holy  One,  The  Messiah,  The 
Christ,  The  Man  Jesus,  whom  the  Lord  anointed  to  be 
prophet,  priest,  and  king  of  his  people. 

19.  He  calls  himself  the  ''Light  of  the  world,"  "The 
bright  and  morning  star."  Peter  calls  him  the  Day  star ; 
Zacharias  calls  him  the  "Day-spring  from  on  high." 
Malachi  calls  him  the  "Sun  of  Righteousness."  These 
several  names  and  titles  are  substantially  one,  and  may 
properly  be  grouped  in  one,  "The  Light  of  the  World." 
The  pertinency  of  the  name  is  obvious,  and  will  be  more 
apparent  when  we  consider  other  cognate  names  and  titles. 

20.  He  calls  himself  "The  Way."  Man  is  lost  in  ig- 
norance and  sin.  He  is  far  from  hope  and  God,  wan- 
dering in  pathless  deserts,  exposed  to  eternal  death.  The 
only  road  to  salvation  is  Christ.  "No  man  cometh  unto 
the  Father  but  by  me." 


34  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

21.  He  calls  himself  "The  Truth."  He  came  to  bear 
witness  to  the  truth  against  all  comers.  Sin  and  Satan 
are  false  in  every  utterance  and  in  every  aspect.  The 
father  of  lies  is  the  prince  of  this  world,  and  men  believe 
him  because  he  is  a  liar.  Christ  came  to  vanquish  him 
with  the  truth,  and  to  scatter  the  darkness  of  sin  with  the 
light  of  his  truth. 

22.  He  says :  "I  am  the  Life."  John  says :  "In  him 
was  life,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men."  Hence  these 
titles  overlap  each  other.  He  is  the  source  of  life  to  the 
dead  in  sin.  Natural  life  originates  with  him,  but  it 
means  more  than  this.  "The  hour  is  coming  and  now  is. 
when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ; 
and  they  that  hear  shall  live."  "You  hath  he  quickened 
who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  "As  the  Fathei 
hath  life  in  himself;  so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to  have 
life  in  himself."  He  said  to  Martha :  *T  am  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  life."  He  claims  these  among  the  preroga- 
tives of  sonship.  (John  v.  17-30.) 

23.  Peter  calls  him  the  "Prince  of  Life."  This  recog- 
nizes his  jurisdiction  over  life,  temporal  and  eternal.  Life 
is  the  pervading  principle  of  his  kingdom — light  and  life; 
but  darkness  and  death  reign  in  the  kingdom  of  Satan. 

24.  He  is  also  called  "The  Prince  of  Peace."  He  is  the 
the  only  purchaser  and  procurer  of  peace  between  God 
and  man,  between  man  and  man,  and  between  man  and 
his  conscience.  He  shall  rule  till  they  shall  learn  war  no 
more,  and  till  they  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  his 
holy  mountain.  He  has  left  his  peace  as  a  legacy  to  his 
disciples. 

25.  He  is  the  one  "Mediator"  between  God  and  man, 
in  all  ages  and  dispensations.  He  mediated  all  the  cove- 
nants, and  is  the  only  revealer  of  God  to  man  from  Eden 
to  the  resurrection.     By  him  we  have  access  to  God.     A 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  35 

mediator  is  a  peacemaker.     "God  is  in  Christ  reconciling 
the  world  unto  himself." 

26.  He  is  the  "Great  High  Priest."  This  is  part  of  his 
mediatorial  work.  All  other  priests  were  but  types  of 
him,  and  derived  all  of  their  value  from  him.  The  blood 
of  bulls  and  goats  represented  his  blood  shed  for  sin.  As 
High  Priest  he  has  entered  the  vail  of  the  Holy  of  Holies 
in  heaven  with  his  own  blood,  covered  with  the  halo  and 
incense  of  his  intercessions  for  his  people. 

27.  He  is  called  "The  Lamb,"  "The  Lamb  of  God  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  The  lamb  was  brought 
to  the  Tabernacle ;  the  sinner  laid  his  hands  on  its  head 
confessing  his  sins;  the  lamb  died,  the  sinner  lived.  Why? 
Christ  fulfills  the  bloody  sacrifice ;  the  blood  of  Christ 
cleanseth  from  all  sin ;  Blood  for  blood ;  Life  for  life ; 
"He  gave  his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  This  is  the  vica- 
rious atonement.  Christ  was  our  penal  substitute.  This 
would  seem  to  be  the  very  culmination  of  his  titles. 
Without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission. 

28.  John  calls  him  "My  Redeemer."  Redeemer  is  a 
favorite  name  throughout  the  Scriptures,  and  Redemption 
is  the  name  for  his  salvation.  The  redeemer  pays  a  pur- 
chase price,  a  ransom.  The  price  was  blood.  (Rev.  v.  9.) 
So  everywhere.  The  word  Job  uses  is  Goel — blood 
brother — sometimes  rendered  blood  avenger,  whose  duty 
it  was  to  redeem  blood  with  blood,  life  with  life.  In  this 
sense  Christ  is  our  blood-brother  and  redeemer. 

29.  In  further  execution  of  his  mediatorial  work  he  is 
called  the  "Shepherd,"  the  "Good  Shepherd."  David 
declares  him  in  lyric  numbers,  "The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd, 
I  shall  not  want."  In  John  x.  1-29,  Christ  expounded 
his  relation  of  shepherd  to  his  people  much  more  fully 
and  in  terms  most  endearing.  "I  am  the  good  shepherd ; 
the  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep."     Their 


36  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

eternal  safety  is  assured  by  himself  and  his  Father.    ''He 
is  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  our  souls." 

30.  He  says  again:  "I  am  the  door;  by  me  if  any 
man  enter  in  he  shall  be  saved  and  shall  go  in  and  out 
and  find  pasture."  The  true  church,  the  spiritual  king- 
dom is  the  sheepfold.  He  is  the  only  way  of  entrance  to 
salvation  and  to  God.  Faith  in  him  admits  to  the  true 
Church  on  earth,  and  opens  the  gates  of  heaven. 

31.  "The  first  born  among  many  brethren."  He  is  not 
ashamed  to  call  us  brethren.  Those  who  are  conformed 
to  his  image  are  his  brethren.  Believers  have  the  adop- 
tion of  sons  and  are  brethren  in  that  one  family  which  is 
named  of  Jesus  Christ.  But  he  is  the  First-born,  entitled 
to  all  the  honors  belonging  to  the  name. 

32.  Christ  is  the  First  Fruits  in  the  resurrection,  (i 
Cor.  XV.  20.)  The  offering  of  first  fruits  was  made  to  the 
Lord  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  after  the  Sabbath  in 
Passover  week.  It  was  the  earnest  and  pledge  of  the  har- 
vest which  was  then  ripening.  This  was  the  type  and 
prophecy  of  Christ  rising  from  the  dead  on  the  first  day 
of  the  week.  His  resurrection  is  the  pledge  of  ours.  'Tf 
the  first  fruits  be  holy,  the  lump  is  also  holy."  (Rom.  xi. 
16.) 

33.  He  is  called  the  Advocate  with  the  Father.  'Tf  a 
man  sin  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  even  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous."  This  does  not  refer  to  the  repent- 
ing sinner.  But  the  reference  is  to  the  sins  of  believers. 
These  do  not  bring  us  into  condemnation,  but  they  offend 
a  loving  Father  and  expose  his  children  to  his  chastening 
rod  and  to  his  sore  displeasure.  But  when  we  repent 
and  ask  forgiveness  and  reconcilation,  Christ  pleads  for 
us  as  our  advocate  and  friend.  "If  we  confess  our  sins, 
he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  our  sins." 

34.  He    is    also    the    Judge.    Abraham    called    him 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  37 

the  "Judge  of  all  the  earth."  This  is  one  of  the  preroga- 
tives of  sonship  as  expounded  by  himself.  "The  Father 
judgeth  no  man,  but  hath  committed  all  judgment  to  the 
Son."  "And  hath  given  him  authority  to  execute  judg- 
ment also."  (John  v.  22,  2.'].')  The  context  shows  that  the 
resurrection  call  is  the  call  to  judgment.  ''Before  him 
shall  be  gathered  all  nations."  (Matt.  xxv.  31).  "Behold 
I  come  quickly ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  to 
every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be."  Who  shall 
abide  the  day  of  his  coming? 

35.  He  says  I  am  the  "Resurrection."  Other  agents 
are  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  resurrection ;  but 
he  is  the  supreme  power.  He  laid  down  his  own  life  and 
took  it  again.  He  raised  Lazarus  and  the  widow's  son. 
He  says:  "The  hour  is  coming  when  all  they  that  are  in 
their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice  and  come  forth ;  they  that 
have  done  good  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 

Perhaps  there  are  other  names  and  titles  that  ought  to 
be  cited  in  a  complete  portraiture.  These  may  suffice. 
They  are  so  coherent  with  each  other,  that  they  are  unified 
in  him.  The  effort  to  explain  away  one  or  more  only 
mutilates  the  portrait  and  the  person,  and  stultifies  the 
unbelieving  critic. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Christ's  Prayers. 

THE  definition  of  prayer  given  in  the  Westminster 
Catechism  does  not  exactly  fit  Christ's  prayers. 
Sinners  need  to  pray  in  the  name  of  a  mediator,  and  also 
to  make  confession  of  sins  and  crave  forgiveness.  It 
may  not  be  amiss  to  give  a  somewhat  more  generic  defi- 
nition in  the  form  of  an  analysis.  We  find  in  prayer, 
invocation,  adoration,  confession,  pleading,  petition,  dedi- 
cation, thanksgiving,  blessing,  and  intercession.  These 
elements  may  not  all  be  found  in  every  prayer,  but  are 
all  found  in  prayer,  if  we  make  any  considerable  induction 
of  the  prayers  of  sinners,  of  saints,  of  angels,  and  of 
Christ. 

We  may  here  inquire  why  Christ  prayed,  and  whether 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to  pray.  There  would  seem 
to  be  no  reason  why  the  second  person  in  the  Trinity, 
co-equal  and  co-eternal  with  the  Father,  should  pray. 
Prayer  is  the  language  of  a  person  occupying  an  inferior 
and  dependent  position  toward  God,  along  with  a  sense 
of  need  that  he  only  can  supply. 

The  Son  of  Man — who  was  God  and  Man  in  one  per- 
son— occupied  an  inferior  position,  born  of  a  woman  and 
made  under  the  law.  He  took  the  place  of  the  sinner, 
except  that  he  was  free  from  sin.  His  prayers  were  not 
preceptive  and  exemplary,  as  some  suppose.  But  they 
grew  out  of  the  necessities  of  the  case.  As  man,  he  was  a 
dependent  creature,  as  much  as  any  other  man.  He  was 
subject  to  the  same  infirmities  as  other  men,  except  sin — 
the  same  joys,  the  same  sorrows,  the  same  temptations, 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  39 

the  same  need  of  help  and  strength  as  other  men — the 
same  relations  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  same  loyalty  to  the 
Father  in  heaven.  Intercession  for  his  friends  was  of  the 
very  essence  of  his  mediatorial  work,  as  well  as  prayer 
for  them  who  despitefully  used  him.  We  need  hardly 
stop  to  argue  these  patent  facts. 

While  we  propose  to  discuss  Christ's  prayers  so  far 
as  they  are  noted  and  recorded,  we  may  emphasize  the 
fact  that  prayer  was  his  habit,  and  was  in  no  sense  limited 
to  special  and  scenic  occasions.  In  Luke  ix.  18,  we  read: 
"As  he  was  alone  praying,"  etc.,  and  in  Luke  xi.  i :  "As 
he  was  praying  in  a  certain  place."  These  are  natural 
and  easy  references  to  an  evident  habit  of  prayer;  and 
then  it  shall  appear  that  he  met  all  exigencies  with  prayer. 

"  Prayer  is  the  Christian's  vital  breath, 
The  Cliristian's  native  air, 
His  watchword  at  the  gate  of  death 
He  enters  heaven   with  prayer." 

The  poet  might  well  have  written  these  same  words  of 
Christ.  If  prayer  were  necessary  for  him,  how  much 
more  for  his  people ! 

His  religious  life  and  experience,  until  he  was  thirty 
years  old,  is  summed  up  in  a  few  words.  "The  child 
grew  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  filled  with  wisdom,  and 
the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him;"  "Wist  ye  not  that  I 
must  be  about  my  Father's  business?"  "And  Jesus  in- 
creased in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God 
and  man."  (Luke  ii.  40,  49,  52.)  There  is  no  evidence 
that  he  was  different  from  any  other  pious  youth,  except 
that  he  was  "holy,  harmless,  undefiled  and  separate  from 
sinners." 

In  a  study  of  his  prayers  during  his  ministry,  so  far 
as  recorded,  we  find  some  of  his  utterances  quoted  in 


40  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ, 

brief ;  the  burden  of  other  prayers  may  easily  be  gathered 
from  the  occasion  and  the  context,  as  we  shall  see. 

I.  He  was  praying  while  John  was  baptizing  him,  ac- 
cording to  Luke,  perhaps  in  an  audible  tone  of  voice.  "It 
came  to  pass,  that  Jesus  also  being  baptized  and  praying, 
the  heaven  was  opened,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in 
a  bodily  shape  like  a  dove  upon  him,  and  a  voice  came 
from  heaven,  which  said :  "Thou  art  my  beloved  Son ;  in 
thee  I  am  well  pleased."  He  evidently  was  praying  for 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  for  a  divine  attesta- 
tion of  his  mission;  and  he  received  a  prompt  answer. 
(Luke  iii.  21,  22.)  And  in  Luke  iv.  i :  "Jesus  being  full 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  returned  from  Jordan  and  was  led  by 
the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness."  There  is  no  reference 
here  to  personal  holiness,  for  he  was  always  perfectly 
holy,  but  he  here  received  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  he  afterwards  promised  his  disciples,  and 
which  they  received  at  Pentecost;  and  by  which  both  he 
and  they  received  those  extraordinary  prophetical  and 
miraculous  gifts  which  were  necessary.  Failure  to  recog- 
nize this  fulness  of  the  Holy  Spirit  has  led  to  mischievous 
error. 

n.  He  fasted  and  prayed  in  the  wilderness,  when  he 
was  tempted  of  the  devil,  forty  days.  (Luke  iv.  i,  2.) 
Luke  does  not  say  that  he  prayed,  but  fasting  means 
nothing  without  prayer.  This  was  a  gigantic  and  heroic 
struggle,  and  he  gained  the  victory  by  fasting  and  prayer, 
and  by  the  right  use  of  the  "word  of  God  which  is  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit."  This  is  a  lesson  for  us  in 
temptation. 

HI.  He  had  extraordinary  and  protracted  seasons  of 
prayer  on  occasions  of  great  importance. 

I.  All  night  on  the  mountain.  (Luke  vi.  12,  13,  17,  20.) 
The  occasion  was  momentous,  for  "When  it  was  day,  he 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  41 

called  unto  him  his  disciples,  and  of  them  he  chose 
twelve."  "And  he  came  down  with  them  and  stood  in  the 
plain."  And  there  was  a  great  multitude,  and  he  healed 
them  all,  and  then  he  spake  that  crisis  sermon,  beginning : 
"Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  their's  is  the  kingdom 
of  heaven."  That  night  of  prayer  was  well  spent,  and 
its  answer  echoes  down  the  ages,  working  ever  enlarging 
results. 

2.  On  one  morning,  "rising  up  a  great  while  before 
day,"  he  went  out  into  a  solitary  place  and  prayed  till  his 
disciples  found  him.  This  was  his  preparation  for  his 
first  circuit  of  Galilee,  upon  which  he  entered  that  clay. 
(Mark  i.  35-39-) 

3.  On  another  occasion,  "he  withdrew  himself  into  the 
wilderness  and  prayed."  This  seemed  to  be  his  prepara- 
tion for  confronting  a  great  company  of  Pharisees  and 
doctors  of  the  law  from  every  town  in  Galilee,  and  Judea, 
and  Jerusalem,  "and  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  present 
to  heal."  (Luke  v.  16,  17.) 

IV.  He  prayed  for  little  children.  They  "brought  unto 
him  little  children  that  he  should  put  his  hands  on  them 
and  pray."  (Matt.  xix.  13).  Mark  says:  "He  put  his 
hands  upon  them  and  blessed  them,"  (x.  16.)  This 
blessing,  therefore,  was  a  prayer,  and  we  are  entitled  to 
consider  other  acts  of  blessing  as  prayers.  Even  the 
official  blessings  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  apostolic 
benedictions  of  the  New  Testament  are  prayers,  as  readily 
appears  from  the  very  forms  of  invocation.  This  is  not 
to  be  confounded  with  the  declarative  blessedness  of 
Psalm  xxxii.  i,  2,  and  of  the  Beatitudes  of  Matt.  v.  3-1 1. 

V.  So  also  when  he  blessed  the  five  loaves  and  two 
fishes  and  fed  the  five  thousand.  Matthew  says :  "he  took 
the  five  loaves  and  the  two  fishes  in  his  hands,  and  looking 
up  to  heaven,  he  blessed  and  brake  and  gave  the  loaves  to 


42  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

his  disciples,  and  they  to  the  multitude."  (xiv.  19.)  This 
notable  miracle  was  wrought  in  answer  to  prayer.  We 
learn  from  John  that  he  gave  thanks  in  addition,  and  so 
also  says  Matthew  in  his  account  of  the  feeding  of  the 
five  thousand.  (John  vi.  11 ;  Matt.  xv.  36.) 

VI.  From  these  things  we  may  fairly  conclude  that  the 
blessing  of  the  bread  and  the  wine  of  the  Lord's  supper 
was  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving,  for  Matthew  and  Mark 
use  both  terms,  "blessed"  and  "gave  thanks."  Luke  and 
Paul  both  say  ''he  gave  thanks." 

VIL  He  was  praying  when  the  Transfiguration  scene 
occurred.  "He  took  Peter  and  John  and  James  and  went 
up  into  a  mountain  to  pray.  And  as  he  prayed,  the 
fashion  of  his  countenance  was  changed  and  his  raiment 
was  white  and  glistening.  And  behold,  there  talked  with 
him  two  men,  Moses  and  Elias,  who  appeared  in  glory, 
and  spoke  of  his  decease  which  he  should  accomplish  at 
Jerusalem,"  or  "of  his  departure  which  he  was  about  to 
accomplish  at  Jerusalem;"  (Luke  ix.  28-31.)  This  de- 
parture included  his  death,  resurrection  and  ascension. 
No  doubt  this  was  the  subject  of  his  prayer.  Moses  and 
Elias  "appeared  in  glory,"  doubtless  resurrection  glory, 
sent  to  confer  with  him  about  it,  and  he  was  transfigured 
into  the  same  glory  that  he  might  "see  of  the  travail  of 
his  soul  and  be  satisfied."  This  was  an  adumbration  of 
his  glorification.  John  was  permitted  to  see  the  consum- 
mation in  vision  on  Patmos.  (Rev.  i.  13-16.)  In  the 
Transfiguration,  his  prayer  was  answered,  and  he  was 
strengthened  and  comforted.  This  was  no  mere  scenic 
and  spectacular  lesson  to  the  three  disciples.  They  were 
to  be  witnesses  to  tell  of  it,  but  were  not  permitted  to 
speak  of  it  till  after  the  consummation.  Their  immediate 
lesson  was  in  the  voice  that  came  out  of  the  cloud  after 
the  conference  was  over :  "This  is  my  beloved  Son ;  hear 
him." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  43 

VIII.  He  prevailed  in  prayer  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus. 
(John  xi.  33-42.)  We  are  twice  told  that  he  "groaned  in 
spirit"  or  "groaned  in  himself" — not  a  mere  sympathetic 
grief,  in  which  he  shed  tears  along  with  his  friends,  but 
it  must  have  been  the  unutterable  groaning  of  the  spirit 
in  sympathetic  intercession.  (Comp.  Rom.  viii.  26.)  The 
proof  of  this  is  that  when  he  came  to  the  grave,  and  the 
stone  was  taken  away  he  "lifted  up  his  eyes  and  said : 
Father,  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me."  Here  we 
may  find  implied  intercession,  petition  and  thanksgiving. 
We  need  not  recite  the  answer,  except  to  note  that  Laza- 
rus was  raised,  his  friends  comforted,  and  many  believed 
on  him. 

We  may  note  these  words  of  his  thanksgiving:  "Father, 
I  know  that  thou  hearest  me  always."  His  prayers  al- 
ways prevailed,  and  never  returned  empty  on  his  own 
head.  Why?  He  had  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  and  he 
asked  for  things  agreeable  to  God's  will.  Our  salvation 
depends  on  the  prevalency  of  his  intercession.  (Heb.  vii. 
25.)  He  said  to  Peter:  "I  have-prayed  for  thee  that  thy 
faith  fail  not."  He  said  to  Peter  in  the  garden:  "Put  up 
thy  sword;  thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to  my 
Father,  and  he  shall  presently  give  me  more  than  twelve 
legions  of  angels?"  (Matt.  xxvi.  53.)  He  said  again:  "I 
will  pray  the  Father  and  he  shall  send  you  another  com- 
forter." 

IX.  His  last  prayer  with  his  disciples — John  xvii.  1-26. 
This  is  the  longest  and  most  comprehensive  of  his  re- 
corded prayers.    It  consists  of  three  parts : 

I.  He  prays  the  Father  for  their  mutual  glory — John 
xvii.  1-8:  "Father,  glorify  thy  Son,  that  thy  Son  may 
glorify  thee."  I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth ;  I  have 
finished  the  work  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do ;  and  now, 
O  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own  self,  with  the 


44  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  was."  The 
pleas  that  he  makes  are  almost  pathetic,  when  we  con- 
sider that  Gethsemane  and  the  cross  were  even  then 
casting  their  shadows  upon  him. 

We  learn  from  this  and  other  Scriptures  that  the  glory 
of  God  is  the  ultimate  ground  and  reason  of  all  things, 
and  as  for  man,  his  "chief  end  is  to  glorify  God  and 
enjoy  him  forever." 

2.  He  prays  for  his  disciples  who  were  with  him — • 
verses  9-19.  He  recites  lovingly  and  loyally  all  that  he 
had  done  for  them,  and  prays  that  they  may  be  kept  from 
evil,  and  sanctified  through  the  truth.  He  knew  that  the 
ties  which  had  been  growing  in  strength  for  three  years, 
were  about  to  be  severed,  and  the  yearnings  of  his  heart 
found  their  expression  in  these  petitions.  They  realized 
it  later. 

3.  He  prayed  for  all  the  elect — verses  20-26:  "Neither 
pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall  be- 
lieve on  me  through  their  word" — "Whom  thou  hast  given 
me" — For  thou  lovedst  them  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world. 

The  burden  of  the  petition  is  for  their  oneness.  The 
term  unity  has  been  so  abused  and  made  to  imply  a  visible 
external  unity,  that  we  prefer  the  term  oneness.  This  is 
the  mystic  indwelling,  '^As  thou.  Father,  art  in  me,  and 
I  in  thee,  that  they  may  be  one  in  us." 

It  is  also  a  oneness  in  glory:  "The  glory  which  thou 
gavest  me  I  have  given  them ;  that  they  may  be  one,  even 
as  we  are  one."  It  is  also  a  oneness  in  perfection;  "I  in 
them,  and  they  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in 
me."  It  is  also  a  oneness  in  knowledge  and  love ;  "I  have 
known  thee,  and  these  have  known  that  thou  hast  sent 
me."  "That  the  love  wherewith  thou  hast  loved  me  may 
be  in  them,  and  I  in  them." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  45 

This  is  the  "oneness  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace ;" 
and  ''the  oneness  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Son  of  God."  (Eph.  iv.  3,  13.)  This  mystic  oneness  has 
been  secured  to  every  beUever  by  this  prayer  of  our  Lord. 
There  is  here  no  hint  of  external  unity. 

X.  His  prayer  in  Gethsemane.  Some  great,  crushing 
sorrow  came  upon  him,  and  he  said :  "My  soul  is  exceed- 
ing sorrowful,  even  unto  death."  It  was  sufficient  to 
destroy  life ;  "and  his  sweat  was  as  great  drops  of  blood 
falling  down  to  the  ground."  He  must  have  died  then 
an.d  there,  but  "there  appeared  an  angel  from  heaven, 
strengthening  him" — evidently  seen  by  the  three  disciples. 
''This  cup"  must  have  been  the  anguish  and  agony  he 
suffered  and  which  was  about  to  kill  him — it  was,  no 
doubt,  the  analogue  of  the  remorse  of  a  sin-laden  soul  in 
despair.  His  prayer  was  answered — this  sorrow  passed — 
his  life  was  spared — his  body  and  soul  were  strengthened 
for  the  finishing  of  his  work  on  the  morrow.  Paul  seems 
to  refer  to  this  prayer  and  its  answer  in  Heb.  v.  7 :  "Who 
in  the  days  of  his  flesh,  when  he  had  offered  up  prayers 
and  supplications  with  strong  crying  and  tears  unto  him 
who  was  able  to  save  him  from  death,  and  was  heard  in 
that  he  feared."  There  is  no  other  recorded  experience 
of  Christ  that  fits  this  reference  in  Hebrews.  No  prayer 
of  Christ  was  ever  unanswered;  "Father  I  know  that 
thou  hearest  me  always." 

XL  His  prayers  on  the  cross.  We  have  a  record  of 
three : 

I.  He  prays  for  his  crucifiers :  "Father,  forgive  them, 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  (Luke  xxiii.  34.)  Some 
think  that  he  prays  only  for  the  Roman  soldiers  who  ex- 
ecuted the  cruel  deed,  and  not  for  the  surging,  howling, 
scoffing  mob.     But  others  say.  It  would  seem  that  this 


46  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

prayer  was  answered,  when  three  thousand  at  Pentecost, 
and  five  thousand  another  day,  repented  and  were  saved. 

2.  His  expostulation  to  God  after  three  hours  of  dark- 
ness: "My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?" 
The  darkness  did  but  symboHze  his  suffering  and  despair, 
because  God  had  forsaken  him  when  the  sins  of  a  lost 
world  were  laid  upon  him.  This  prayer  was  also  heard, 
and  the  light  of  his  countenance  shone  again  in  his  soul. 

3.  His  dying  prayer.  His  work  was  done.  He  cried, 
"It  is  finished."  And  he  said,  "Father,  into  thy  hands 
I  commend  my  spirit."  Need  it  be  said  that  this  prayer 
was  heard  when  "he  bowed  his  head  and  gave  up  the 
Ghost?"  His  first  martyr,  Stephen,  uttered  a  similar  peti- 
tion addressed  to  him :  "Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit." 
(Luke  xxiii.  46;  Acts  vii.  59,  60.)  "Lay  not  this  sin  to 
their  charge." 

Xn.  He  blessed  his  disciples  at  his  ascension.  Luke 
xxiv.  50,  51 :  "He  led  them  out  as  far  as  to  Bethany,  and 
he  lifted  up  his  hands  and  blessed  them."  This  lifting  up 
of  the  hands  is  the  posture  of  prayer  and  especially  of 
invocation,  as  may  appear  from  numerous  Scriptures,  and 
the  blessing  was  a  prayer,  as  we  have  already  seen.  "And 
it  came  to  pass  while  he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted  from 
them,  and  carried  up  into  heaven.  And  they  worshipped 
him,  and  returned  to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy ;  and  were 
continually  in  the  temple,  praising  and  blessing  God. 
Amen." 

The  Lord's  prayer  is  an  invaluable  prayer  lesson,  as 
against  the  futile  prayers  of  the  Pharisees ;  but  Christ's 
prayers  are  exhaustive  prayer  lessons  to  us.  It  is  true, 
here,  as  in  all  things  else,  that  he  has  "left  us  an  example 
that  we  should  walk  in  his  steps." 


CHAPTER  V. 
Christ's  Controversies. 

EVERY  reformer  excites  antagonisms.  Every  new 
invention  lias  won  its  way  in  the  face  of  opposi- 
tion. Every  new  thing  must  run  the  gauntlet  of  sus- 
picious and  hostile  criticism. 

How  much  more  has  this  been  true  of  the  prophets  of 
all  ages.  God  has  sent  them  to  a  hostile  people.  The 
hostility  was  already  there,  and  often  well  organized. 
The  prophet's  mission  has  always  been  aggressive  and  has 
aroused  opposition,  which  may  have  seemed  indifference. 
His  mission  has  been  to  vindicate  truth  and  to  condemn 
and  destroy  the  false.  He  has  always  been  raised  up  for 
a  special  purpose,  and  at  a  necessary  time,  and  to  meet 
a  crisis — not  sent  to  refute  an  abstract  principle,  but  to 
attack  evil  forces  and  to  confute  erring  and  sinful  persons. 
Lashed  to  fury  by  the  truth,  they  have  persecuted  the 
prophets  in  all  ages.  There  was  always  a  timeliness  in 
their  coming  and  commission.  This  is  not  far  to  see  as 
we  read  the  story  of  the  prophets.  Samuel  was  no  acci- 
dent in  the  history  of  his  period.  Elijah  had  a  commis- 
sion to  break  the  yoke  of  Baal  from  the  necks  of  Israel. 
Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  had  crisis  work  to  do,  and  they 
aroused  the  bitterest  antagonisms  and  persecutions. 

Christ  was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  "He  came  to  his 
own  and  his  own  received  him  not."  The  four  Gospels 
record  his  oppositions,  antagonisms,  and  persecutions. 
The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  and  their  followers  attack  him 
and  his  teachings  at  every  point,  until  the  truth  is  vindi- 
cated against  all  comers.    It  was  a  life-and-death  struggle 


48  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

for  the  truth.  His  baffled  enemies  had  nothing  left  but 
to  kill  him  in  malignant  hate  and  fury.  So  their  fathers 
had  killed  the  prophets  and  for  the  same  reason.  Heresy 
and  falsehood  has  always  been  cruel,  malignant,  and 
murderous,  because  sin  and  Satan  are  the  inspiration  of 
it,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  has  no  fellowship  with  it. 

It  was  a  warfare — truth  and  falsehood — holiness  and 
sin — Jesus  and  the  Jews — God  and  the  devil — both  parties 
on  the  alert.  It  was  one  man  against  a  thousand ;  and 
two  against  ten  thousand.  The  odds  seemed  fearful  as 
men  saw  it.  The  enemy  were  wary  and  cunning  and 
skilful ;  Christ  was  equally  ready  for  the  offensive  or 
defensive,  and  the  rout  was  complete  in  either  case. 

The  devil  made  two  attacks  upon  him  before  he  entered 
upon  his  work.  He  stirred  up  Herod  the  Great  to  kill 
him  in  tender  infancy.  Herod  knew  and  believed  in  the 
popular  expectation  of  the  Messianic  King  to  be  born 
at  Bethlehem,  and  he  slaughtered  the  innocents,  thinking 
to  defeat  the  sure  word  of  prophecy  in  the  interest  of  his 
own  personal  and  family  ambitions.  Within  two  years 
he  himself  died  in  horrible  agony  of  body  and  soul,  such 
as  no  others  may  have  ever  suffered,  unless  it  was  Philip 
II.  of  Spain,  and  a  few  other  great  persecutors.  After- 
ward the  devil  measured  strength  with  Christ  in  the 
wilderness  for  forty  days,  and  was  so  defeated  that  he 
left  him  for  a  season. 

We  shall  rapidly  consider  some  of  the  more  acute  con- 
troversies between  Christ  and  the  Jews. 

I.  He  drove  the  traders  from  the  temple.  (John  ii. 
13-25.)  He  went  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem  to  his  first 
Passover.  "And  he  found  in  the  temple  (i.  e.,  in  the 
temple  area  and  in  the  buildings  connected  with  the  tem- 
ple), those  that  sold  sheep  and  oxen,  and  doves,  and  the 
changers  of  money  sitting;  and  when  he  had  made  a 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  49 

scourge  of  small  cords,  he  drove  them  all  out,  and  the 
sheep  and  the  oxen ;  and  poured  out  the  changer's  money, 
and  overthrew  the  tables;  and  said  unto  them  that  sold 
doves,  take  these  things  hence ;  make  not  my  Father's 
house  a  house  of  merchandise."  He  repeated  the  same 
thing  during  the  last  week,  after  he  entered  Jerusalem  in 
triumph,  riding  on  the  colt,  and  he  said:  "Take  these 
things  hence;  it  is  written,  my  house  shall  be  called  a 
house  of  prayer,  and  you  have  made  it  a  den  of  thieves." 
The  disciples  who  witnessed  it  remembered  that  it  is 
written,  ''The  zeal  of  thy  house  has  eaten  me  up."  This 
was  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus.  We  hardly  realize  the 
hardihood  of  the  assault;  the  righteous  indignation  and 
fury  with  which  he  drove  them  all  out,  smarting  under 
the  indignant  lash.  Such  was  the  majesty  of  his  bearing 
and  the  power  of  his  truthful  proclamation,  that  no  one 
dared  resist  him  in  their  headlong  flight.  They  had  pro- 
faned the  temple  with  the  connivance  of  Pharisees  and 
High  Priest,  who  doubtless  shared  their  iniquitous  and  ex- 
tortionate gains,  but  they  had  no  redress  in  law  or  equity. 
The  king  was  come  into  his  temple.  Some  of  the  less 
timid  spectators  came  cringing  with  the  question :  "What 
sign  shewest  thou  us  seeing  thou  doest  these  things?" 
Like  a  flash  came  his  reply :  "Destroy  this  temple,  and  in 
three  days  I  will  build  it  up."  He  pointed  forward  to  his 
death  and  resurrection  as  the  supreme  witness  to  his  au- 
thority. We  are  told  that  many  at  the  feast  believed  on 
him  when  they  saw  the  miracles  which  he  did. 

2.  On  a  certain  day  in  Capernaum  he  challenges  their 
thoughts  and  vindicates  his  right  to  forgive  sin.  Phari- 
sees and  doctors  of  the  law  out  of  every  town  in  Galilee 
and  Judea  and  Jerusalem  were  sitting  by,  watching  him 
in  his  teaching  and  miracle-working,  apparently  by  a  pre- 
concerted arrangement.  When  the  man,  sick  of  the  palsy, 


50  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

was  let  down  through  the  roof  he  said :  "Son,  be  of  good 
cheer,  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee."  They  said  in  their 
hearts :  "Who  is  this  that  speaketh  blasphemies  ?  Who 
can  forgive  sins  but  God  only?"  He  challenged  their 
thoughts  and  vindicated  his  equal  right  and  power  to  heal 
body  and  soul.  "And  he  arose  and  departed  to  his  own 
house."  That  self-constituted  tribunal  was  vanquished, 
and  the  multitude  glorified  God. 

3.  Controversies  about  the  Sabbath.  These  seem  to 
have  been  numerous.  They  had  covered  over  the  Sab- 
bath with  many  puerilities,  and  practically  forbade  works 
of  necessity  and  mercy.    We  may  note  several  cases : 

He  healed  the  impotent  man  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda  on 
the  Sabbath.  (John  v.  1-15.)  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Rise, 
take  up  thy  bed  and  walk."  The  Jews  said  to  the  man : 
"It  is  the  Sabbath  day;  it  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  carry 
thy  bed."  Then  the  Jews  sought  to  slay  Jesus  because  he 
had  healed  the  man  on  the  Sabbath. 

On  a  Sabbath  in  the  synagogue  there  came  a  man  with 
a  withered  hand,  and  they  watched  him  that  they  might 
find  an  accusation  against  him,  and  they  asked  him :  'Ts 
it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  day?"  He  confuted  them 
with  their  own  usage,  if  a  sheep  fall  into  a  pit  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  he  asked :  "How  much  better,  then,  is  a  man 
than  a  sheep?"  And  they  were  filled  with  madness  and 
communed  with  the  Herodians  how  they  might  destroy 
him.     (Matt.  xii.  9-14.     Also  Mark  and  Luke.) 

He  again  'healed  a  woman  sorely  afflicted  for  eighteen 
years,  and  the  ruler  of  the  s^vnagogue  was  filled  with  in- 
dignation because  he  healed  her  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and 
gave  directions  to  the  people  to  come  and  be  healed  on 
six  days,  but  not  on  the  Sabbath.  Jesus  confuted  him 
with  his  own  custom  of  loosing  his  ox  or  his  ass  and 
leading  him  to  water.  (Luke  xiii.  11-16.) 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  51 

On  another  Sabbath,  Christ  and  his  disciples  were 
passing  along,  probably  on  their  way  to  the  synagogue, 
for  there  were  Pharisees  in  the  company.  They  plucked 
the  ripe  corn  by  the  wayside  to  satisfy  their  hunger,  a 
thing  allowed  by  Moses.  (Duet,  xxiii.  25.)  The  Phari- 
sees said  it  was  not  lawful  to  do  this  on  the  Sabbath. 
Their  glosses  made  it  both  reaping  and  threshing.  He 
confuted  them  by  citing  David's  eating  the  shew-bread, 
and  the  work  of  the  priest  at  the  altar  on  the  Sabbath 
which  they  justified.  He  claimed  the  right  to  expound  the 
Sabbath  both  by  precept  and  example,  because  he  was 
Lord  of  the  Sabbath ;  he  made  it  for  man,  and  not  man 
for  it,  and  therefore  had  put  upon  it  the  law  of  mercy  and 
not  sacrifice. 

4.  His  arraignment  of  Pharisaic  traditions.  This  is 
done  in  the  most  sweeping  and  comprehensive  way  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount.  He  discusses  Phariseeism  nndcr 
four  heads — Literalism,  Formalism,  Covetousness,  and 
C^nsoriousness.  He  sets  up  the  true  standard  of  morals, 
doctrine,  and  practice,  as  found  in  the  Old  Testament 
law,  as  against  Pharisaic  glosses  and  interpretations, 
which  made  void  the  law  and  rendered  it  of  none  effect. 
His  challenge  is  in  Matt.  v.  20 :  "Except  your  righteous- 
ness exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees, ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven !"  The  full  discussion  of  this  is  found  in  another 
little  volume  by  the  author. 

5.  Christ  had  a  running  controversy  with  Pharisaic  tra- 
ditions during  his  entire  ministry.  It  was  liable  to  break 
out  any  time,  for  they  sat  in  Moses'  seat  and  taught  their 
traditions  in  his  name.  Their  doctrines  of  marriage,  di- 
vorce, filial  obligation,  baptism,  ceremonial  purifications, 
sinful  defilements,  self-righteousness,  social  and  civil 
caste,  and  so  on,  were  all  so  vicious,  and  so  prominent  in 


52  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

their  teaching  and  practice  that  antagonisms  and  con- 
troversies were  the  constant  and  inevitable  result.  Christ 
struck  the  root  of  the  evil  when  he  said :  "Ye  are  of  your 
father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  ye  will  do. 
He  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning,  and  abode  not  in 
the  truth,  for  there  is  no  truth  in  him."  ''Because  I  tell 
you  the  truth  ye  believe  me  not."  (John  viii.  44,  45.) 

6.  They  said :  "He  casteth  out  devils  through  Beel- 
zebub, the  prince  of  devils."  They  could  not  dispute  his 
pofwer  over  devils,  but  ascribed  it  to  Satanic  agency.  His 
retort  was  scathing:  "If  I,  by  Beelzebub,  cast  out  devils, 
by  whom  do  your  children  cast  them  out?"  Jewish  ex- 
orcists pretending  to  cast  out  devils  were  notorious  im- 
postors, and  they  judged  Christ  by  them.  After  con- 
futing their  charge  by  apt  parables,  he  lays  to  their  charge 
the  unpardonable  sin,  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  in 
that  they  ascribed  his  mighty  works  to  the  Father  of  lies. 
(Matt.  xii.  24-32.) 

7.  They  deride  him  for  his  relations  to  publicans  and 
sinners.  A  woman — a  penitent  sinner — washed  his  feet 
with  her  tears  and  wiped  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head, 
and  they  blamed  him  for  it.  He  defended  her  manifes- 
tation of  gratitude.  She  loved  much,  for  she  had  been 
forgiven  much. 

When  he  ate  with  publicans  and  sinners  they  murmured 
at  him.  But  he  justified  his  course  with  three  parables: 
The  Hundred  Sheep,  The  Ten  Pieces  of  Silver,  and  The 
Prodigal  Son, 

8.  The  last  week  fairly  bristles  with  controversies  and 
antagonisms.  It  almost  seems  that  it  was  his  deliberate 
purpose  to  drive  them  to  fury  with  the  truth  about  them- 
selves. He  silenced  successively  Pharisees,  Sadducees, 
Herodians,   Scribes,  and  Lawyers,  and  then  denounced 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  53 

woes  against  them  on  eight  different  counts.  They  retired 
from  his  denunciations  to  compass  his  death  by  treachery. 
Conckision.  We  are  so  accustomed  to  look  at  the  love 
of  Christ  and  his  meekness  and  gentleness  in  the  hands  of 
his  enemies,  that  we  often  overlook  the  heroic  side  of  his 
life,  his  sturdy  manhood,  his  staunch  advocacy  of  truth, 
and  his  fearless  rebuke  of  falsehood  and  sin.  He  had  a 
mission — to  overcome  evil,  to  restrain  and  conquer  all  his 
and  our  enemies.  He  stood  in  the  very  forefront  of  the 
battle.  He  faced  every  foe  and  conquered  every  enemy. 
Death  and  hell,  men  and  devils  are  vanquished  foes.  He 
is  still  the  captain  of  our  salvation,  made  perfect  through 
suffering.  His  strong  right  arm  strikes  down  our 
enemies.  We  read  of  the  "Wrath  of  the  Lamb."  When 
the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  who  shall  be  able  to 
stand?  (Rev.  vi.  16,  17.) 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Parables. 

THERE  are  in  the  Scriptures  three  classes  of  stories 
used  for  didactic  purposes — Parables,  Fables,  and 
Allegories.  These  all  are  often  called  parables,  but  it 
would  seem  best  to  distinguish  them  according  to  the  defi- 
nitions of  the  older  rhetoricians,  thus  : 

1.  The  fable  is  a  story,  in  which  animals  and  inanimate 
things  are  represented  as  speaking  and  acting  like  rational, 
speaking  men ;  and  the  story  is  told  for  its  lesson  or 
moral,  which  may  usually  be  summed  up  in  a  single  brief 
sentence.  The  story  is  fictitious,  and  impossible  of  a 
literal  realization.  There  are  a  few  fables  in  the  Old 
Testament.  Jotham's  fable  of  the  trees  seeking  a  king 
over  them,  (Judges  ix.  8-15),  is  the  oldest  fable  extant, 
and  is  as  apt  as  any  made  since.  Joash's  fable  of  the 
thistle  proposing  to  marry  the  daughter  of  the  cedar  of 
Lebanon  is  equally  pertinent,  though  grotesque,  ^sop's 
fables  transmit  to  us  much  of  the  wit  and  wisdom  of  the 
ages.  The  fable  is  adapted  to  wit,  both  serious  and 
ludicrous,  and  also  grotesque,  and  is  better  suited  to  teach 
the  lower  forms  of  truth  in  every-day  life,  rather  than 
the  higher  forms  of  intellectual  and  spiritual  truth. 

2.  The  allegory  is  a  fictitious  story,  in  which  the  narra- 
tor tells  a  literal  story,  in  which  an  entirely  different  story 
is  meant,  and  there  is  enough  verisimilitude  in  the  one 
to  suggest  the  other.  The  literal  story  need  not  be  in  all 
points  true  to  nature  as  in  the  fable  and  parable,  and  may 
be,  in  some  points,  impossible,  but  the  story  intended  is 
some  truth  to  be  exemplified  and  elucidated. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  55 

Nathan's  reproof  of  David,  (2  Samuel  xii.  1-4),  and 
the  cunning  story  of  the  wise  woman  of  Tekoah,  (2  Sam. 
xiv.  4-7),  are  allegories.  Nebuchadnezzar's  dreams  were 
allegories ;  and  this  form  of  teaching  was  not  uncommon 
among  the  prophets,  and  sometimes  occurs  in  the  New 
Testament. 

3.  The  parable  is  a  story  told  for  illustration  by  com- 
parison. It  always  starts  with  a  personal  agent  or  actor, 
and,  though  usually  fictitious,  it  must  be  true  to  nature 
in  all  its  details,  and  possible  of  realization.  The  word 
inashal  in  Hebrew  means  primarily  a  similitude,  but  is 
translated  both  "parable"  and  "proverb."  A  proverb  is 
the  moral  or  lesson  of  a  story  expressed  in  terse  and 
aphoristic  form,  easy  to  be  remembered.  The  parable 
and  the  proverb  are  so  logically  related  that  we  may 
start  with  the  parable  and  discover  the  proverb,  or  we 
may  start  with  the  proverb  and  construct  a  parable  that 
teaches  it. 

Christ's  parables  are  so  numerous  and  varied  that  we 
need  to  give  especial  attention  to  the  principles  of  their 
interpretation.  They  are  stories  told  for  illustration — 
e.  g.,  Matthew  xiii.  31,  33,  47:  "The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed" — "Is  like  unto 
leaven" — 'Ts  like  unto  a  net" — also  in  Matthew  xviii.  23 ; 
Matthew  xx.  i :  'Ts  likened  unto  a  certain  king" — "Is 
like  unto  a  man  that  is  an  householder,"  This  formula 
is  not  always  used,  but  the  comparison  is  always  implied. 
Indeed,  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  parabole — 
something  put  alongside  for  comparison. 

In  argument,  the  parable  illustrates — "throws  light 
on" — by  means  of  the  obvious  similitude,  and  makes  the 
apprehension  of  the  truth  more  easy.  It  also  has  the 
force  of  an  argument  from  analogy,  which  is  not  a  mere 
likeness,  but  is  an  identity  of  relations,  quoad  hoc.    While 


56  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

this  form  of  argument  is  perhaps  the  most  common  and 
the  most  satisfactory  in  its  results,  it  is  Hable  to  abuse 
and  is  dangerous,  because  of  false  analogies,  mistaken 
identities,  and  careless  conceits,  and  fancied  similitudes, 
which  must  needs  lead  astray.  So  taught  Solomon, 
(Prov.  xxvi.  7)  :  "The  legs  of  the  lame  are  not  equal; 
so  is  a  parable  in  the  mouth  of  fools."  This  fact  is 
emphasized  by  Christ  in  Mark  iv.  ii,  12:  "Unto  you  it 
is  given  to  know  the  mystery  of  the  kingdom  of  God; 
but  to  them  that  are  without  all  these  things  are  done  in 
parables :  that  seeing  they  may  see  and  not  perceive ;  and 
hearing  they  may  hear  and  not  understand ;  lest  at  any 
time  they  may  be  converted  and  I  should  heal  them."  So 
also  in  Matthew  xiii.   10-16. 

This  danger  and  abuse  of  the  parable  is  not  the  fault 
of  the  teacher,  but  of  the  hearer.  His  folly  and  sin  make 
the  parable  dangerous.  (Prov.  xxvi.  7.)  Compare  John 
viii.  45 :  "Because  I  tell  you  the  truth,  ye  believe  me  not ;" 
verse  44 :  "Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil  and  the  works 
of  your  father  ye  will  do."  Isaiah  denounced  this  per- 
verseness  as  judicial  blindness.  (John  xii.  37-41.)  Paul 
gives  the  ground  and  scope  of  the  judicial  blindness  in 
2  Thess,  ii.  10-12:  "Because  they  received  not  the  love  of 
the  truth  that  they  might  be  saved;  even  for  this  cause 
God  shall  send  them  strong  delusion  that  they  should 
believe  a  lie ;  that  they  all  might  be  damned  who  believed 
not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness." 

There  are,  however,  sound  principles  of  interpretation 
of  parables,  which  may  be  easily  recognized.  The  true 
lesson  of  the  parable  is  its  moral,  or  application.  This 
is  the  real  point  of  likeness,  the  true  analogy,  and  the 
actual  point  of  the  comparison.  This  is  implied  in  the 
very  act  of  comparison.  In  what  does  the  likeness  con- 
sist, is  the  only  question. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  57 

The  moral  or  point  of  the  parable  is  often  stated ;  e.  g., 
"The  laborers  in  the  vineyard."  The  moral  is  stated 
(Matt.  xix.  30)  in  aphoristic  form:  "Many  that  are  first 
shall  be  last;  and  the  last  shall  be  first."  "For  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  man  that  is  a  householder," 
etc.  (Matt.  XX.)  ;  and  it  is  repeated  and  amplified  at 
the  close  of  the  parable  (Matt  xx.  16)  :  "So  the  last  shall 
be  first,  and  the  first  last ;  for  many  be  called,  but 
few  chosen." 

The  point  or  moral  is  sometimes  to  be  gathered  from 
the  surroundings  and  from  the  occasion,  or,  as  we  say, 
from  the  conext;  e.  g.,  Luke  xv.  i,  2.  The  Pharisees 
and  scribes  murmured  because  Christ  received  sinners 
and  ate  with  them.  Then  he  spake  the  parable  of  the 
lost  sheep  and  others. 

Sometimes  the  point  or  moral  is  self-evident,  and  needs 
no  expHcation;  e.  g.,  Matthew  xiii.  31,  33:  "The  grain  of 
mustard  seed ;"  "The  leaven  a  woman  hid  in  the  meal." 

Some  parables  are  compound,  with  one  general  and 
several  specific  morals.  For  example,  the  parable  of  the 
sower,  (Mark  iv.  3-20),  of  which  the  general  lesson  is: 
"He  that  hath  ears  to  hear  let  him  hear,"  (verse  9),  and 
it  is  repeated  in  verse  23 ;  and  in  verse  24  we  find  the 
lesson:  "Take  heed  what  ye  hear;"  and  in  Luke  viii.  18, 
"Take  heed  how  ye  hear."  These  are  three  several 
statements  of  the  general  lesson  of  the  entire  parable. 
Besides  this,  the  parable  has  four  sections,  and  the  lesson 
of  each  argues  and  reinforces  the  general  lesson  of  the 
whole. 

A  few  of  the  parables  are  allegorical.  The  parable  of 
the  sower,  just  considered,  is  largely  allegorical.  The 
parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field  is  distinctly  so;  (Matt, 
xiii.  24-30,  38-43).  Christ  expounds  both  of  these  and 
guards  them  against  the  dangerous  tendency  to  an  ex- 


58  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

cessive  allegorizing  in  our  interpretation  of  these  and 
other  Scriptures.  Such  parables  are  not  to  be  considered 
pure  allegories. 

Some  parables,  so-called,  such  as  'The  vine  and  the 
husbandman,"  (John  xv.  i-8),  are  not  proper  parables, 
but  rather  sustained  and  elaborated  figures  of  speech, 
based  on  genuine  and  instructive  analogies.  The  23rd 
Psalm  is  a  similar  expansion  of  the  shepherd  and  his 
sheep.  Christ  takes  up  the  same  figure  and  unfolds  it 
along  different  lines :  "I  am  the  good  shepherd ;  the  good 
shepherd  giveth  his  Hfe  for  the  sheep."  (John  x.  11.) 
These,  and  similar  passages,  are  beautiful  and  instruc- 
tive beyond  expression,  but  ought  hardly  to  be  considered 
parables.  They  are  not  stories  told  for  illustration,  but 
they  might  easily  be  thrown  into  parabolic  form. 

Some  parables  are  presumably  histories,  but  not  neces- 
sarily so,  e.  g.,  the  parable  of  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus. 
(Luke  xvi.  19-31.)  So  also  the  parable  of  the  prodigal 
son,  (Luke  xv.  11-32)  ;  so  also  the  parable  of  the  wicked 
husbandmen,  (Luke  xx.  9-18)  ;  and  others.  In  fact,  as 
already  said,  all  parables  must  be  true  to  nature  and 
possible  of  realization. 

We  have  seen  that  every  parable  has  its  specific  lesson, 
or  moral,  or  basic  principle.  Now,  it  is  important  to  em- 
phasize this  principle  of  interpretation ;  only  the  point 
or  moral  of  a  parable  may  be  used  for  doctrine,  that  is, 
to  set  up  and  prove  any  dogma,  doctrine,  or  truth.  The 
drapery  of  a  parable  may  not  be  so  used.  Mistake  here 
may  lead,  and  has  led,  to  the  most  serious  errors.  In  the 
parable  of  the  laborers  in  the  vineyard,  it  is  said,  they  all 
received  a  penny,  whether  they  wrought  little  or  much. 
From  this  it  has  been  argued  that  the  rewards  in  heaven 
shall  be  the  same  for  all.  This  certainly  contradicts  the 
teaching  of  other  Scriptures.    It  is  argued  also,  that  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  59 

eleventh  hour  men  are  not  to  be  blamed  for  standing  all 
the  day  idle,  because  "no  man  had  hired  them,"  and  so 
on.  If  the  drapery  of  the  parable  may  be  used  for  doc- 
trine, then  every  man  will  find  doctrines  such  as  suit  him, 
and  there  w^ill  be  no  limit  to  his  conceits.  Devout  allegor- 
izing has  been  the  bane  of  a  sound  exegesis  in  all  ages, 
and  the  parables  of  Christ  have  been  wrested  to  support 
the  vagaries  of  heretics,  mystics,  and  fanatics  in  every 
generation,  and  especially  in  our  day. 

But,  is  the  drapery  of  a  parable  of  no  value  for  didactic 
purposes?  Yes,  often  of  great  value,  to  illustrate  doc- 
trines taught  elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures;  but  we  are 
limited  in  such  use  of  the  drapery,  by  the  analogy  of 
Scripture.  The  drapery  may  also  be  used  to  illustrate 
any  fact  or  truth  we  may  have  gotten  from  observation 
or  experience.  In  the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son,  it  is 
said :  "Not  many  days  after  the  younger  son  gathered 
all  together  and  took  his  journey  into  a  far  country,  and 
there  wasted  his  substance  in  riotous  living."  This  may 
be  used  to  illustrate  how  rapidly  young  men  sometimes 
rush  to  ruin  when  they  cut  loose  from  home  and  its 
restraints  under  the  mad  impulses  of  selfishness  and  lust. 

Not  only  the  drapery  of  parables  may  be  used  in  this 
way  to  illustrate  truth  otherwise  established,  but  all  his- 
tory and  its  drapery,  all  the  facts  of  science,  all  God's 
handiwork  in  nature,  and  all  the  best  products  of  poetry 
and  fiction  may  be  used  in  the  same  way. 

But  what  check  have  we  against  the  abuse  of  parables, 
and  what  further  guide  have  we  in  finding  the  right 
interpretation  of  parables?  A  great  safeguard  is  found 
in  the  fact  that  Christ  gives  companion  parables  in  so 
many  cases — sometimes  doublets,  sometimes  triplets, 
sometimes   quartettes. 

In  Matt.  xiii.  31,  33,  we  have  two  companion  parables, 


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illustrating  the  same  truth,  but  with  dififerent  drapery. 
In  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  Luke  we  have  three  parables 
illustrating  the  same  truth.  The  stories  differ  widely  in 
their  plot,  and  in  the  unfolding  of  the  details,  but  we 
easily  trace  a  common  lesson.  In  Luke  v,  33-39,  we  find 
a  quartette,  four  parables,  all  short,  and  very  unlike  in 
details.  These  companion  parables  serve  to  point  out 
the  true  lesson  and  to  check  false  interpretations  in  this 
way;  the  companion  parables  cross  each  other  like  inter- 
secting lines  which  have  one  point  in  common,  and  but 
one.  That  point  in  common  is  the  analogy  sought,  the 
true  similitude,  and  may  be  discovered  by  simple  inspec- 
tion. This  common  point  is  the  lesson  of  each,  and  the 
only  moral  of  each  parable;  all  the  rest  is  drapery.  In 
the  parables  of  the  leaven  and  the  mustard  seed,  to  which 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened,  we  discover  the  prin- 
ciple of  life  and  growth  in  both  parables,  nothing  more, 
nothing  less.  In  the  quartette  of  parables  just  cited,  we 
find  that  Christ  is  questioned  about  the  fasting  of  John 
and  of  the  Pharisees,  while  his  disciples  ate  and  drank. 
He  replies  by  four  parables,  the  one  common  lesson  of 
which  is  "there  is  a  fitness  in  things,"  and  with  this 
homely  \vord,  with  this  obvious  principle,  he  justifies  the 
fasting  of  John's  disciples,  condemns  the  fasting  of  the 
Pharisees,  defends  the  conduct  of  his  own  disciples,  and 
clarifies  the  whole  doctrine  and  usage  of  fasting  for  all 
time. 

Many  will  consider  these  views  narrow  and  cramping, 
and  so  they  ought  to  be,  as  against  the  licentious  use  of 
the  marvelous  teaching  of  Christ  by  parables. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Miracles. 

THE  supernatural  is  the  general  name  for  all  re- 
vealed manifestations  of  divine  operations, 
whether  in  the  physical  or  moral  world.  The  natural  is 
the  general  name  for  all  the  operations  of  second  causes 
in  the  material  and  moral  universe,  so  far,  at  least,  as  they 
come  within  our  observation  and  experience. 

There  are  five  modes  or  manifestations  of  the  super- 
natural, which  exhaust  all  that  is  revealed  in  the  Scrip- 
tures— Creation,  Providence,  Inspiration,  Miracle  and 
Redemption.  We  propose  to  discuss  only  the  miracle  in 
this  chapter. 

Miracles  are  called  by  several  other  names  in  the  Scrip- 
tures :  "Signs,"  "wonders,"  "mighty  works,"  the  "finger 
of  God,"  the  "works  of  the  father,"  "spiritual  gifts,"  the 
"Holy  Ghost,"  etc.  These  numerous  names  furnish  such 
a  definition  of  the  miracle  that  the  plainest  mind  can  ap- 
prehend its  true  significance,  and  make  it  so  simple,  that 
a  scientific  or  logical  definition  sometimes  seems  difficult. 
Its  claim  to  be  supernatural  is  universally  understood, 
even  by  those  who  dispute  such  claim.  It  is  conceded  also 
that  the  Scriptures  claim  a  supernatural  origin  for  the 
miracle,  and  the  only  way  to  minimize  the  miracle  is  to 
minimize  the  intelligence  and  authority  of  the  witnesses 
who  have  recorded  them.  This  discussion,  however, 
assumes  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  and 
the  truthfulness  of  the  witnesses  to  the  miracle  and  to  all 
else  in  the  book.     This  chapter  only  proposes  to  make  a 


62  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

study  of  the  miracle  as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures,  and  to 
differentiate  it  from  God's  other  works,  as  already  named, 
and  as  constituting  other  modes  of  the  supernatural. 

It  is  important,  at  the  outset,  to  define  the  relation  of 
the  miracle  to  nature's  laws,  and  also  to  creature  agency. 
Some  define  it  as  a  violation  of  nature's  laws — a  defini- 
tion obviously  unfortunate,  because  the  same  God  who  set 
up  nature  and  its  laws  and  upholds  them  all  by  his  power, 
is  also  the  author  of  the  miracle.  Some  have  defined  it 
as  supra-natural — a  term  that  it  would  be  hard  to  dis- 
tinguish from  supernatural ;  and  it  is  also  hard  to  see 
why  Providence,  and  the  redemptive  processes  are  not 
equally  supranatural  and  miraculous ;  and,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  advocates  of  this  definition  do  extend  the  term 
miracle  so  as  to  include  the  others,  and  especially  the  re- 
demptive processes. 

The  creature  agent,  who  is,  by  courtesy,  said  to  work 
the  miracle,  has  no  such  power.  He  only  announces  the 
miracle,  but  God  works  it,  and  he  only.  Elijah,  in  calling 
down  fire  from  heaven,  only  announced  and  declared  the 
miracle.  Moses'  rod  stretched  over  the  sea,  had  no  power 
to  open  the  road  through  its  waters;  and  Moses  com- 
mitted a  great  sin  when  he  smote  the  rock  at  Meribah, 
and  cried :  "Ye  rebels,  shall  we  fetch  water  out  of  this 
rock?"  The  true  miracle-worker  was,  in  every  case, 
divine.  The  result  was  always  something  that  could 
have  never  taken  place  in  God's  ordinary  providence, 
which  works  always  through  second  causes,  and  the  wit- 
nesses recognized  the  presence  of  a  new  cause  or  agency. 
This  is  not  a  mere  reasoning  from  a  strange  and  wonder- 
ful event  back  to  a  cause,  which  ignorant  and  supersti- 
tious people  have  done  in  all  ages ;  but  the  cause  and  the 
result  were  announced  and  declared  beforehand,  and  the 
miracle  must  needs  be  accepted  as  evidence  of  the  pres- 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  63 

ence  of  God  working  such  a  result,  and  that  for  a  suffi- 
cient reason. 

We  believe  in  the  uniformity  of  nature's  laws,  or  rath- 
er we  believe  that  the  same  causes  under  the  same  condi- 
tions always  produce  the  same  effects.  In  the  laboratory 
or  in  every  day  life,  a  new  cause  introduced,  wittingly  or 
unwittingly,  always  modifies  the  result.  In  the  miracle, 
God  intervened  as  a  competent  cause,  or  agent  to  produce 
any  result  that  he  might  please,  and  for  such  purpose  as 
he  might  declare. 

The  miracle  was  wrought  primarily  and  mainly  for 
confirmation,  and  may  be  called  a  prophet's  testimonials. 
A  prophet  claims  to  be  a  spokesman  for  God.  His  testi- 
monials were  miracles  of  power  or  of  knowledge. 
Miracles  of  power  had  precedence  of  miracles  of  knowl- 
edge, in  time  certainly.  When  the  prophet  spoke  for 
God,  and  the  miracle  was  wrought  for  confirmation,  there 
was  God  on  the  witness  stand  with  the  prophet,  speaking 
through  the  miracle,  and  testifying  to  the  messenger  and 
his  message.  This  is  the  simplest  possible  statement  of 
the  Bible  doctrine  of  the  miracle,  its  nature  and  use. 

Christ  so  understood  it,  and  so  represents  it.  Matt.  xi. 
20-24:  "Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin !  For  if  the  mighty 
works  which  were  done  in  you,  had  been  done  in  Tyre 
and  Sidon,  they  would  have  repented  long  ago  in  sack- 
cloth and  ashes,"  etc.  John  v.  36,  37 :  "But  I  have  greater 
witness  than  John:  for  the  works  that  the  Father  hath 
given  me  to  finish,  the  same  works  that  I  do,  bear  witness 
of  me,  that  the  Father  hath  sent  me,"  etc.  John  x.  37, 
38 :  "If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  believe  me  not. 
But  if  I  do,  though  ye  believe  not  me,  believe  the  works," 
etc.  John  xiv.  10-12:  "The  Father  that  dwelleth  in  me, 
he  doeth  the  works."  "Believe  me  for  the  very  work's 
sake,"  etc. 


64  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

The  Scriptures  so  represent  it  from  the  very  earliest 
recorded  miracles.  The  Lord  at  Horeb  gave  Moses  three 
signs  to  confirm  his  own  faith,  by  working  which  he  was 
also  to  confirm  his  mission  and  his  message  to  his  own 
people.  And  when  Pharaoh  rejected  these  same  signs  in 
the  interest  of  his  own  gods,  which  claimed  precedence  of 
Jehovah,  the  Lord  wrought  "wonders  in  the  land  of 
Zoan/'  until  the  gods  of  Egypt  were  all  overthrown,  and 
their  arrogant  hierarchy  was  utterly  destroyed  in  the 
death  of  the  first-born  in  every  house.  Before  crossing 
the  sea,  Moses  said :  "Stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of 
God."  At  Mount  Sinai,  the  fire,  the  smoke,  the  thunder- 
ings,  the  lightnings,  and  the  quaking  mountain  attested 
the  presence  of  the  Lord  on  the  mountain,  and  attested 
the  ten  words  he  spake,  and  confirmed  forever  the  claims 
of  Moses  as  his  great  prophet.  And  so  we  might  traverse 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  in  confirmation  of  this 
view. 

The  Jews  of  Christ's  day  so  understood  it.  John  iii. 
I,  2,  Nicodemus  said :  "Rabbi,  we  know  that  thou  art  a 
teacher  come  from  God :  for  no  man  can  do  these  miracles 
that  thou  doest,  except  God  be  with  him."  John  xi.  45, 
47,  48,  at  the  raising  of  Lazarus:  "Many  of  the  Jews 
which  came  to  Mary,  and  had  seen  the  things  which 
Jesus  did,  believed  on  him."  The  chief  priests  and  Phari- 
sees held  a  council  about  it  and  said :  "What  do  we  ?  for 
this  man  doeth  many  miracles.  If  we  let  him  alone,  all 
men  will  believe  on  him,"  John  xii.  10,  11.  They  even  con- 
sulted to  put  Lazarus  to  death  in  order  to  get  rid  of  the 
evidential  power  of  that  miracle.  John  ix.  30-33 :  The 
blind  man  restored  to  sight  challenged  the  unbelief  of 
the  Pharisees  in  clarion  tones:  "Since  the  world  began, 
was  it  not  heard  that  any  man  opened  the  eyes  of  any 
one  that  was  born  blind.  If  this  man  were  not  of  God 
he  could  do  nothing." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  65 

The  miracles  of  Christ,  and  of  his  apostles,  and  others 
after  him,  were  numerous  and  varied  for  obvious  reasons. 
They  were  open  for  inspection  and  criticism.    They  could 
not  deny  that  he  healed  the  impotent  man,  but  they  criti- 
cised him  for  doing  it  on  the  Sabbath.     They  could  not 
deny  that  he  cast  out  devils,  but  with  a  self-stultifying 
criticism,   they  said  he  did  it  through  "Beelzebub,  the 
prince  of  devils."     There  was  no  place  to  charge  him 
with  being  a  cheat  and  impostor,  juggling  with  the  ig- 
norance of  a  few  superstitious  witnesses  with  obscure 
tricks  of  legerdermain  and  sleight-of-hand  performances. 
His  power  brought  the  dead  to  life ;  he  quelled  the  storm 
and  the  sea  at  a  word ;  he  healed  all  manner  of  diseases, 
which  ran  through  the  whole  gamut  of  human  suffering 
anH  woe ;  and  he  crowned  it  all  at  last  with  his  own  resur- 
rection.    Impostors    in    all    ages    have    wrought    lying 
wonders    to    sustain    their    claims,    from    Jannes    and 
Jambres,  who  withstood    Moses    in    Egypt,  to  Elymas, 
the  sorcerer,  and  on  down  to  the  annual  liquefaction  of 
St.  Januarius'  blood  at  Rome,  or  the  pretended  healings 
at  the  shrine  of  "My  Lady  at  Lourdes."     But  we  need 
not  compare  Christ's  miracles  with  theirs,  much  less  with 
the  delusive  miracles  of  mind  cure.  Christian  science,  and 
faith  cure  amongst  us ;  which  three  profess  to  do  sub- 
stantially the  same  miracles  of  healing,  but  by  means 
contradictory   and   wholly  irreconcilable.      May  we  not 
quote  of  them  all  2  Thess.  ii.  9:  "Whose  coming  is  after 
the  working  of  Satan,  with  all  power  and  signs  and  lying 
wonders  ?" 

Miracles  illustrate  the  divine  character,  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  his  works  of  creation  and  providence. 
Psalm  xix.  i :  "The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  firmament  sheweth  his  handy-work."  Acts  xiv.  17: 
"He  left  not  himself  without  witness,  in  that  he  did  good, 


66  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

and  gave  us  rain  from  heaven  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling 
our  hearts  with  food  and  gladness."  The  miracles  are 
worthy  of  our  careful  study,  because  they  do  embody  and 
reflect  the  divine  attributes  in  great  glory.  The  miracles 
recorded  in  the  Bible  are  always  worthy  of  Mm;  there 
is  nothing  puerile,  or  fanciful,  nothing  at  all  like  the 
foolish  and  superstitious  conceits  and  fabrications  of 
designing  impostors,  or  ignorant  fanatics.  God's  works, 
whether  great  or  small,  are  all  worthy  of  him,  and  his 
miracles  are  all  wisely  adapted  to  the  conditions  which 
called  them  forth  at  his  hand ;  and  they  fill  us  with  never- 
ending  admiration,  as  they  show  forth  his  "Being,  wis- 
dom, power,  holiness,  justice,  goodness,  and  truth." 

In  Christ's  miracles  we  realize  his  personality  as  per- 
haps nowhere  else — "the  brightness  of  his  glory,  and 
the  express  image  of  his  person."  (Heb.  i.  2.)  "The 
image  of  the  invisible  God."  (Col.  i.  15).  "In  him  dwell- 
eth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."  (Col.  ii.  9.) 

It  is  maintained  by  some  that  miracles  are  mainly  di- 
dactic in  their  purpose,  and  may  be  called  "Parables  in 
Action,"  and  are  to  be  expounded  like  parables ;  or,  to 
state  it  differently,  that  every  miracle  is  intended  to  teach 
some  great  spiritual  truth,  and  that  the  processes  of  the 
miracles  are  the  reflex  and  expression  of  spiritual  pro- 
cesses. Those  who  hold  this  view  are  in  danger  of 
minimizing  and  even  overlooking  the  primary  evidential 
character  of  the  miracle.  Besides  this,  they  do  certainly 
fall  into  methods  of  interpretation,  which  are  not  legiti- 
mate even  for  parables,  if  the  theory  set  forth  in  the  last 
chapter  be  true. 

There  are  certain  transactions  in  the  Scriptures  which 
are  sometimes  called  parables  in  action.  They  are  prop- 
erly complex  symbolisms,  which  are  always  explained. 
The  symbolism  arrests  the  attention  and  gives  vividness 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  67 

to  the  explanation  given.  The  prophet  Abijah  met 
Jeroboam  (i  Kings  xi.  29-36),  and  he  rent  his  own  new 
garment  into  twelve  pieces  and  gave  ten  of  them  to  Jero- 
boam, and  the  same  time  expounding  the  symbolism.  In 
the  prophets  are  found  similar  symbolisms,  notably  the 
yokes  of  wood  and  iron  of  Jeremiah,  and  the  explanation 
was  always  given  by  the  prophet.  Now,  there  is  no  hint 
of  any  such  symbolism  in  the  miracles  of  Christ,  and  no 
explanation  of  such  symbolism  is  ever  given. 

The  same  rules  may  be  laid  down  for  interpreting  the 
incidents  and  drapery  of  the  miracle  as  for  the  parable. 
They  cannot  be  used  to  set  up  doctrine,  but  may  be  used 
cautiously  to  illustrate  truth  otherwise  conceded  and 
established ;  and  all  attempts  to  use  them  so  must  be 
limited  by  the  analogy  of  Scripture. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  best  expositors  who 
attempt  to  parallel  miracles  and  gracious  spiritual  opera- 
tions, find  it  necessary  to  point  out  contrasts  as  well  as 
likenesses  in  the  parallel,  in  order  to  escape  absurdities  of 
doctrine.  In  doing  this,  they  logically  surrender  the 
theory. 

It  is  legitimate  to  study  these  works  of  God  as  ex- 
pressing his  character  and  his  perfections,  as  already 
indicated,  and  it  is  legitimate  to  illustrate  any  truth  by 
the  incidents  and  drapery  of  the  miracles,  just  as  in  the 
case  of  the  parables ;  and  if  this  is  all  that  is  meant  by 
these  expositors,  then  it  has  always  been  done,  and  ought 
always  to  be  done  without  the  doubtful  nomenclature  of 
"Parables  in  action." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Typology. 

THERE  is  a  strong  disposition  to  degrade  the  types 
of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  to  mere  symbols 
and  visible  figures  or  signs,  used  to  teach  some  spiritual 
truth ;  and  in  some  cases  to  mere  memorials  analogous 
to  the  bread  and  wine  of  the  Lord's  Supper;  or  to  signs 
like  the  water  in  Christian  baptism.  Such  interpreters  do 
thereby  minimize  the  supernatural,  both  miracle  and 
prophecy.  They  eliminate  the  prophetic  element  in  the 
type  just  as  they  minimize,  if  they  do  not  deny,  the  literal 
predictive  element  in  written  prophecy.  They  are,  at 
least,  consistent,  but  they  are  very  far  from  the  tradi- 
tional and  the  Bible  view.  A  proper  definition  of  types 
can  be  gotten  only  by  a  study  of  them  in  the  light  of  the 
entire  Scriptures.  The  word  type  is  the  English  form 
of  the  Greek  tupos,  which  means,  primarily,  a  blow.  The 
anti-type,  anti-tupos,  is  the  result  of  the  blow.  The  type 
and  the  anti-type  correspond  as  the  die  and  its  imprint, 
or  as  the  die  and  the  casting.  The  ancient  type  was  a 
piece  of  metal  with  some  character  or  figure  upon  it,  and 
a  similar  figure  was  made  upon  something  else — metal, 
wood,  or  clay — by  a  blow  or  some  form  of  pressure,  ex- 
actly as  it  is  done  to-day.  The  name  type,  transferred 
to  ordinances  of  religion  as  found  in  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures,  is  so  used  because  of  correspondences  similar 
to  those  of  material  types  and  anti-types  which  suggest 
such  usage  of  the  terms. 
We  are  now  prepared  for  a  definition  of  these  terms  in 


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their  religious  usage.  By  analysis,  we  find  three  elements 
in  a  type: 

1.  It  had  a  distinct  present  use  and  value  when  insti- 
tuted or  whenever  repeated.  We  may  illustrate  this  by 
the  Passover.  The  sprinkled  blood  of  the  lamb  on  the 
door  posts  of  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt  saved  the  lives  of 
their  first-born,  because  the  angel  passed  over  the  houses 
when  he  saw  the  blood.  The  present  use  and  value  was 
obvious.  And  when  the  Passover  was  repeated  in  after 
years,  it  was  a  memorial  of  the  transaction  in  Egypt,  and 
also  a  sacramental  pledge  of  the  divine  care  and 
protection. 

2.  The  type  also  foreshadowed  and  set  forth  some- 
thing in  the  future  of  far  more  value  than  the  literal 
type,  and  was,  therefore,  distinctly  prophetic  of  that 
future  thing.  The  lamb  slain  and  the  sprinkled  blood 
set  forth  Christ  slain  and  his  blood  sprinkled,  and  the 
safety  of  his  people  when  the  destroying  angel  passes  by. 
I  Cor.  V.  7,  8:  "Purge  out  therefore,  the  old  leaven,  that 
ye  may  be  a  new  lump,  as  ye  are  unleavened.  For  even 
Christ,  our  Passover,  is  sacrificed  for  us :  therefore  let  us 
keep  the  feast,  not  with  the  old  leaven,  neither  with  the 
leaven  of  malice  and  wickedness ;  but  with  the  unleav- 
ened bread  of  sincerity  and  truth."  Here  we  quote  the 
likeness  of  the  type  and  anti-type  in  minute  detail.  The 
type  was  prophecy. 

3.  The  third  feature  of  the  type  is  this :  Its  present 
use,  efficacy,  or  value,  was  derived  from  its  future  signi- 
ficance. The  anti-type  was  the  embodiment  of  the  type, 
and  the  thing  signified  gave  value  to  the  sign. 

Illustrate  again  from  the  Passover.  The  literal  blood 
of  the  lamb  had  no  real  virtue,  nor  protecting  power  in  it. 
The  real  protection  was  in  their  covenant  relations  with 
him  who  should  redeem  them  with  his  own  blood.  His 
blood  only  was  the  true  blood  of  sprinkling. 


70  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  state  our  definition  in  a  single 
proposition.  A  type  was  something  that  had  a  present 
use  and  meaning  of  its  own,  while  pointing  to  and  setting 
forth  something  future,  from  which  its  present  value 
was  derived. 

The  ceremonial  usages  of  the  earliest  ages,  afterwards 
embodied  in  the  law  of  Moses,  were  typical  of  Christ.  He 
fulfilled  them  all.  Col.  ii.  i6,  17:  "Let  no  man  judge 
you  in  meat,  or  in  respect  of  an  holy  day,  or  of  the  new 
moon,  or  of  the  Sabbath  days;  which  are  a  shadow  of 
things  to  come,  but  the  body  is  Christ.."  Heb.  x.  1-14: 
"The  law  having  a  shadow  of  things  to  come,"  etc. 
(Verse  i.)  This  is  the  ceremonial  law  as  indicated  by  the 
context  which  refers  to  sacrifices  and  offerings  made  by 
priests.  This  law  was  the  shadow  of  things  to  come  and 
pointed  to  Christ,  who  (verse  14)  "by  one  offering  per- 
fected them  that  are  sanctified." 

This  law  was  the  Gospel  in  elaborate  object  lessons, 
constantly  enacted  and  re-enacted,  and  expounded  by  in- 
spired patriarch,  priest,  and  prophet.  When  this  was 
waxing  old  the  volume  of  written  prophecy  was  rapidly 
expanded.  In  the  book  of  Hebrews  is  set  forth  the  fulfil- 
ment of  it  all  in  its  more  obvious  details.  We  do  not 
understand  that  Paul  set  up  any  new  significance  to  these 
types,  but  rather  that  he  cited  their  known  and  accepted 
meaning  in  order  to  set  up  the  claims  of  Christ  and  the 
Gospel  which  fulfilled  them  all. 

It  is  difficult  to  give  an  exhaustive  classification  of  the 
types  of  the  Old  Testament,  nor  is  it  necessary.  But  the 
following  classification  may  suffice  for  the  purpose  of 
vindicating  the  definition  reached,  and  may  also  enable 
us  to  set  forth  in  one  bird's  eye  view  the  fulfilment  of  all 
in  the  Gospel. 

I.  Personal  types.     Christ  fills  the  offices  of  prophet. 


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priest,  and  king,  and  we  may  expect  to  find  each  of  these 
ofifices  set  forth  in  personal  types. 

1.  Moses,  and  every  prophet  after  him,  was  a  type  of 
Christ.  Moses  says,  (Duet,  xviii.  15,  18,  19)  :  "The 
Lord,  thy  God,  shah  raise  up  unto  thee  a  prophet  from  the 
midst  of  thee  hke  unto  me;  unto  him  shall  ye  hearken." 
We  learn  from  verses  18-22,  that  every  true  prophet  was 
of  the  same  order  and  authority  as  Moses ;  and  we  learn 
also  from  Acts  iii.  22,  23,  and  also  from  Acts  vii.  52,  that 
Christ  was  the  true  prophet  to  be  raised  up  like  unto 
Moses  and  all  the  rest,  and  they  all  were  types  of  him. 
Christ  was  the  revealer  in  all  the  ages,  and  every  prophet 
represented  him  and  derived  his  authority  from  him. 

2.  Melchizedek,  and  every  other  priest  in  every  true 
hierarchy  was  a  type  of  Christ.  Melchizedek  evidently 
belonged  to  a  hierarchy  older  than  the  Aaronic  priest- 
hood, and  superior  to  it,  as  Paul  plainly  shows  in  Heb. 
vii.  1-17,  and  was,  therefore,  a  type  of  Christ.  Every 
priest  appointed  of  God  from  among  men  was  a  mediator 
between  God  and  man,  to  offer  gifts  and  sacrifices,  make 
intercessions,  and  have  compassion  on  the  ignorant. 
Compare  Heb.  v.  i,  2.  Christ  was  the  true  priest,  the 
one  mediator  between  God  and  man ;  the  true  intercessor, 
having  compassion  and  superseding  all  other  priests  who 
represented  him  till  he  should  come,  and  who  derived  all 
their  authority  from  him.  Compare  Heb.  iv.  14-16;  v. 
4-6;  vii.  24-28. 

3.  David  was  a  type  of  the  true  king.  It  is  a  mistake 
to  suppose  that  a  king  was  no  part  of  the  original  plan 
for  the  government  of  God's  ancient  people.  The  theo- 
cratic covenant  at  Sinai  made  the  government  regal,  with 
the  full  consent  and  choice  of  the  people  expressed  in  a 
constitutional  way,  and  the  Lord — Jehovah — was  the 
head  of  the  civil  commonwealth,  as  well  as  of  their  eccles- 


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iastical  system.  And  the  chief  ruler,  whether  judge,  or 
king,  was  the  divinely  authorized  viceroy  of  the  true 
king.  Now  Moses,  in  Deut.  xvii.  14-20,  provides  for  a 
king,  and  sets  forth  his  qualifications  and  his  duties — 
really  a  constitution  for  the  kingdom.  And  when  they 
demanded  a  king,  it  was  necessary  to  rebuke  and  punish 
the  spirit  in  which  they  did  it  by  the  utter  failure  of  their 
first  king;  but  the  next  king  was  chosen  of  God  to  be  the 
highest  earthly  type  of  the  true  king. 

In  Psalm  Ixxxix.  20-29,  we  find  a  wonderful  covenant, 
full  of  promises,  made  to  David  and  his  seed,  promises 
which  culminated  in  his  son's  eternal  kingdom.  This 
is  because  David  is  a  type  of  the  true  king,  Christ  Jesus. 
Isaiah  evidently  refers  to  this  in  chapter  Iv.  3,  4:  ''I  will 
make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  you,  even  the  sure 
mercies  of  David."  "Behold,  I  have  given  him  for  a 
witness  to  the  people,  a  leader  and  commander  to  the 
people."  Who  is  this  David?  It  is  Christ.  These  chap- 
ters in  Isaiah  are  Messianic,  beyond  question.  The  prom- 
ised Messianic  king  is  called  David  again  and  again  by 
the  prophets.  Jeremiah  xxx.  9 :  "They  shall  serve  the 
Lord  their  God,  and  David  their  king,  whom  I  will  rais& 
up  to  them."  Ezek.  xxxiv.  23,  24:  "I  will  set  one  shep- 
herd over  them,  even  my  servant  David."  "My  servant 
David  shall  be  a  prince  among  them."  So  also  in 
Hosea  iii.  5. 

II.  Sacrificial  Types.  Under  this  head  are  included 
all  offerings  made  upon  the  altar  by  the  priest.  The  lamb 
without  blemish  was  brought  to  the  altar ;  confession  of 
sin  was  made  with  hands  laid  upon  its  head ;  its  blood 
was  shed  in  place  of  the  sinner's  blood ;  the  lamb  died, 
the  sinner  lived;  the  blood  was  sprinkled  on  the  altar,  or 
before  the  Lord,  or  on  the  sinner ;  certain  parts  were 
consumed  on  the  altar   with  fire   from  heaven ;  the  re- 


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mainder  was  to  be  eaten  by  the  priests,  or  by  the  officer. 
All  these  steps  were  but  types  of  the  Gospel  and  its  salva- 
tion. Christ  is  the  lamb  without  blemish;  our  sins  are 
laid  on  him ;  his  blood  cleanses  from  all  sin ;  he  died  that 
the  sinner  might  live.  "It  was  not  possible  that  the  blood 
of  bulls  and  goats  should  take  away  sins."  (Heb.  x.  4.) 
"By  one  offering  he  hath  perfected  forever  them  that  are 
sanctified." 

III.  Tabernacle  Types.  These  were  continued  in  the 
temple  and  its  furniture.  It  will  suffice  to  recount  the 
more  obvious  of  these.  The  tabernacle  was  the  Royal 
Pavilion,  and  the  temple  was  the  palace  of  the  Great 
King.  The  Holy  of  Holies  was  a  type  of  the  heavenly 
tabernacle  into  which  Christ  should  enter  with  his  own 
blood,  and  with  incense  also,  making  atonement  and  inter- 
cession for  his  people.  The  veil,  the  mercy  seat,  the 
cherubim s,  the  shew  bread,  the  golden  candlestick  were 
evidently  types.  And  many  other  things  in  the  royal 
pantomime  worship  of  the  sanctuary  were  types  either  in 
themselves  or  by  reason  of  their  necessary  connection 
with  actual  types.  This  is  the  more  apparent  from  the 
elaborate  visions  of  Ezekiel  and  his  lessons  therefrom. 

IV.  Special  Types.  There  were  a  number  of  isolated 
transactions  which  are  certainly  typical,  but  belong  to  no 
group  like  those  already  enumerated.  The  Passover  is 
in  this  respect,  unique.  It  stands  disconnected  with 
others.  The  offering  of  first  fruits  on  the  day  after  the 
Sabbath  during  the  Passover  is  also  unique,  and  it  sets 
forth  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  who  is  the  "first  fruits 
of  them  that  slept."  The  brazen  serpent  was  also  a  type 
of  Christ,  as  elaborate  as  the  Passover  in  its  symbolism. 
Compare  John  iii.  14,  15;  viii.  28;  xii.  32;  xix.  18. 

The  manna  is  another  one  of  those  special  types,  and 
it  is  beautifully  expounded  by  Christ  himself  in  John  vi. 


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30-35:  "I  am  the  true  bread  that  came  down  from 
heaven."  The  scape  goat  on  the  Great  Day  of  Atonement 
is  another  special  type.  (Lev.  xvi.  6-22.)  The  High  Priest 
laid  his  hands  on  the  head  of  the  goat,  confessing  the 
sins  of  the  people,  and  the  goat  was  led  away  into  the 
wilderness,  and  turned  loose  to  bear  their  sins  away  into 
forgetfulness.  The  parallel  is  obvious,  familiar  and  com- 
forting. 

V.  Historic  types.  There  is  a  wonderful  parallel  between 
the  history  of  God's  chosen  people  of  old,  and  the  un- 
folding of  the  Gospel  and  the  setting  up  of  Christ's  king- 
dom. Some  of  these  types  are  familiar  and  obvious,  such 
as  the  bondage  in  Egypt,  the  deliverance,  the  promised 
Canaan,  the  cities  of  refuge,  the  Prophet  Jonah,  Queen 
Jezebel,  Zion  the  Holy  City,  and  many  others.  Many 
prophecies  of  the  latter  days  are  expressed  in  historic 
terms,  embodying  the  experiences  of  the  prophet's  gen- 
eration ;  the  one  is  made  a  type  of  the  other.  Many 
prophecies  have  a  double  fulfilment,  one  historic  and 
within  the  horizon  of  the  prophet  and  his  generation,  and 
the  other  reaching  far  away  into  the  distant  future ;  and 
the  transition  from  the  one  to  the  other  is  possible  and 
easy  because  of  this  typical  relationship. 

It  is  necessary,  however,  to  put  in  a  caveat  against  a 
fanciful  typology,  not  warranted  by  Scripture.  It  does 
not  follow,  because  many  things  in  the  tabernacle  were 
types,  that  the  curtains  of  goat's  hair,  badger  skins,  and 
ram  skins  dyed  red,  had  a  typical  and  spiritual  meaning. 
Several  things  connected  with  bloody  sacrifices  were  cer- 
tainly typical ;  it  does  not,  therefore,  follow  that  the  skin- 
ning and  the  quartering  of  the  sacrificial  victim  had  a 
typical  significance.  A  mistake  here  has  led  to  a  spiritual- 
izing and  allegorizing  mode  of  interpretation  limited  only 
by   the   fancies  and  vagaries  of  the  interpreter.     What 


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criterion  have  we,  then,  by  which  to  test  the  claimed 
typicahty  of  anything?  There  are  two  rules  which 
mutually  re-enforce  each  other.  The  first  rule  is  that 
we  must  find  a  Scripture  warrant,  expressed  or  implied, 
for  such  typicality.  The  second  rule  is  that  we  must 
reject  all  non-essential  features  and  find  the  type  only  in 
essential  analogies,  just  as  we  rule  out  the  drapery  in  the 
interpretation  of  parables,  confining  ourselves  to  genuine 
and  necessary  identities.  And  just  as  in  miracles  we  may 
not  use  the  incidents  of  a  miracle  to  teach  doctrine ;  so 
here,  there  are  numerous  details  connected  with  types 
which  are  non-essential  and  accidental  and  have  no  typical 
significance.  The  safe  application  of  these  rules  requires 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  Scripture,  and  a  reasonable 
amount  of  common  sense. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Prophecies  Fulfilled  in  Christ. 

WE  HAVE  seen  that  the  entire  ceremonial  system 
of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  and  many 
other  things  found  therein,  constitute  an  elaborate  system 
of  prophecy,  expressed  in  object  lessons,  and  that  these 
are  all  fulfilled  in  the  Gospel.  The  word  prophecy,  how- 
ever, usually  suggests  spoken  and  written  prophecy. 

The  prophet  was  a  spokesman  for  God,  and  was  di- 
vinely inspired  so  to  speak  and  write.  Prophecies  fall 
under  two  distinct  and  well-defined  classes  or  heads — 
inspired  teaching  and  expounding  of  truth,  and  the  pre- 
diction or  foretelling  of  future  events — or  in  other  words, 
Teaching  prophecy  and  Predictive  prophecy. 

There  is  found  in  the  Old  Testament  a  large  volume 
of  Messianic  prophecy,  which  finds  its  fulfilment,  either 
partial  or  complete,  in  the  New.  Some  of  this  Messianic 
prophecy  is  still  to  be  completely  fulfilled  in  the  final  tri- 
umphs of  the  Gospel. 

Christ  says :  "Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the 
law  or  the  prophets :  I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to 
fulfill."  (Matt.  V.  17.)  There  is  a  proper  sense,  in  which 
Christ  is  the  embodiment  of  all  the  truths  of  doctrine  and 
morals  found  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  as  well  as 
the  fulfilment  of  typical  and  written  prophecy.  It  is  a 
most  interesting  study  to  note  that  all  his  teachings,  all 
his  thinking,  and  all  his  actions,  are  but  the  expression, 
the  conscious  expression,  the  sympathetic  expression,  of 
truth  as  set  forth  in  the  Old  Scriptures,  which  was  his 
Bible.    This  grew  out  of  the  very  necessities  of  the  case. 


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for  he  was  'the  author  of  those  Scriptures.  All  the  truths 
of  both  Testaments  were  evolved  out  of  his  own  conscious 
subjective  experience.  In  this  highest  and  best  sense  he 
fulfilled  the  Law  and  the  Prophets.  We  propose  here, 
however,  to  cite  an  outline  of  the  more  obvious  predictive 
prophecies,  whose  fulfilment  is  noted  by  the  writers  of 
the  New  Testament,  and  which  make  their  appeal  to  the 
plain,  common  sense  of  the  ordinary  reader. 

If  there  were  but  a  few  of  these  prophecies,  they  might 
be  explained  away  as  fanciful  adaptations  or  accidental 
coincidences,  as  has  been  sometimes  attempted.  They  are, 
however,  too  numerous,  varied,  and  comprehensive  to  be 
treated  in  this  way. 

1.  His  supernatural  conception  and  his  dual  nature 
are  plainly  foretold.  Isaiah  vii.  14:  "A  virgin  shall  con- 
ceive and  bear  a  son,  and  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel." 
Matthew  and  Luke  tell  of  the  Virgin  Mary  and  her  son 
Jesus,  and  all  the  succeeding  Scriptures  are  based  on  his 
supernatural  origin.  His  name  Immanuel  means  "God 
with  us."  "The  Word  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among 
us."  (John  i.  14.)  No  wonder  Isaiah  (ix.  6)  broke  out 
in  that  triumphant  psean :  ''Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  to  us 
a  son  is  given;  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his 
shoulders ;  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Coun- 
seller,  The  Mighty  God,  The  Everlasting  Father,  The 
Prince  of  Peace."  These  passages  set  forth  his  humanity 
and  his  divinity,  both  of  which  he  claimed  for  himself 
so  constantly. 

2.  The  time  of  his  birth  was  foretold.  The  time,  first 
by  Jacob,  Genesis  xlix.  10:  ''The  sceptre  shall  not  depart 
from  Judah  nor  a  law-giver  from  between  his  feet  till 
Shiloh  come."  Christ  was  twelve  years  old  when  Arche- 
laus,  Herod's  son  and  successor,  was  degraded  from  the 
throne  in  Judea,  and  banished  to  Gaul,  and  his  kingdom 


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abolished,  and  Judea  degraded  into  a  mere  Roman  pro- 
vince, and  so  the  sceptre  departed. 

But  the  time  is  more  definitely  set  in  Daniel's  prophecy 
of  the  seventy  weeks.  (Daniel  ix.  24-27.)  Interpreters 
may  differ  about  some  points  in  this  wonderful  prophecy ; 
but  there  can  be  no  question  that  the  sixty-nine  weeks — 
four  hundred  and  eighty-three  years — reached  to  ''Mes- 
siah the  Prince."  The  entire  Jewish  people  and  many  of 
the  pagan  world  were  expecting  the  Prince  about  this 
time,  and  this  fact  made  it  possible  for  so  many  false 
Christs  to  rise  up  in  this  period  and  deceive  many. 

3.  The  place  of  his  birth  was  foretold  in  Micah  v.  2: 
"But  thou,  Bethlehem  Ephratah,  though  thou  be  little 
among  the  thousands  of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee  shall  he 
come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel;  whose 
goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting." 
Christ  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  and  the  Jews  told  Herod 
it  should  be  so.  (Matt.  ii.  i,  6;  Luke  ii.  4-7.) 

4.  The  mission  of  John  the  Baptist,  the  forerunner,  the 
herald  of  the  King,  was  foretold  in  Mai,  iii.  i :  "Behold,  I 
will  send  my  messenger,  and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  be- 
fore me."  Mai.  iv.  5 :  "Behold,  I  wih  send  you  Elijah,  the 
prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  terrible  day 
of  the  Lord."  Isa.  xl.  3,  4:  "The  voice  of  him  that  crieth 
in  the  wilderness,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make 
straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God,"  etc.  The 
angel  applied  these  prophecies  to  John  the  Baptist  before 
he  was  born,  and  Zacharias,  his  father,  did  the  same 
when  his  tongue  was  loosed,  and  he  was  "filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  prophesied."  (Luke  i.  17,  67,  76.)  Mat- 
thew and  Mark,  and  Christ  do  the  same.  (Matthew  iii. 
13;  Mark  i,  2.  3.)  Matthew  xi.  14:  "And  if  ye  will  be- 
lieve it,  this  is  Elias  which  was  for  to  come." 

5.  The   prophets   foretold   that   Christ   should   preach 


'  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  79 

glad  tidings  and  work  miracles.  Isaiah  Ixi.  1-3 :  "The 
Lord  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  glad  tidings  to  the  meek ; 
he  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  pro- 
claim liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison 
to  them  that  are  bound,"  etc.  The  fulness  of  that  Gospel 
and  its  glorious  fruits  are  set  forth  in  chapter  Ixv.  of 
Isaiah  and  in  many  other  places — the  same  glad  tidings 
that  Christ  did  preach.  We  have  already  sketched,  in 
chapter  vii.,  the  extent  of  his  miracles  which  the  prophets 
foreshadowed :  "The  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened, 
and  the  ears  of  the  deaf  shall  be  unstopped.  There  shall 
the  lame  man  leap  as  a  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb 
sing."  John  sent  to  Jesus  out  of  the  darkness  and  gloom 
of  his  dungeon,  and  asked :  "Art  thou  he  that  should 
come,  or  look  we  for  another?"  Note  the  answer:  "Go 
and  shew  John  what  ye  do  see  and  hear :  The  blind  receive 
their  sight,  and  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed, 
the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  and  the  poor  have 
the  Gospel  preached  unto  them." 

6.  It  was  foretold  that  he  would  be  opposed  and  re- 
jected By  Jews  and  Gentiles.  The  fifty-third  chapter  of 
Isaiah  reads  like  history — it  is  history,  written  by  in- 
spiration, before  the  time.  The  twenty-second  Psalm, 
quoted  further  on,  also  reads  like  history.  The  prophet 
sees  it  all  enacted  in  vision,  or  otherwise,  with  the  eye  of 
inspiration,  and  he  testifies  like  a  contemporary  witness, 
only  because  God  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning.  "A 
root  out  of  a  dry  ground;  he  hath  no  form  nor  comeli- 
ness ;  and  when  we  shall  see  him,  there  is  no  beauty  that 
we  should  desire  him.  He  is  despised  and  rejected  of 
men;  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief;  and 
we  hid  as  it  were  our  faces  from  him;  he  was  despised 
and  we  esteemed  him  not."  (Isaiah  liii.  2,  3.)  "He  came 
to  his  own,  and  his  own  receiveth  him  not."  (John  i.  11.) 


8o  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

"Neither  did  his  brethren  bdieve  in  him,"  (John  vii.  5.) 
In  the  second  Psahn  we  read :  "Why  do  the  heathen  rage 
and  the  people  imagine  a  vain  thing?  The  kings  of  the 
earth  set  themselves,  and  the  rulers  take  counsel  together 
against  the  Lord,  and  against  his  anointed."  (Psalm  ii. 
I,  2.)  Peter  tells  us,  (Acts  iv.  25-27),  that  these  words 
were  fulfilled  when  both  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate,  witb 
the  Gentiles,  and  the  people  of  Israel,  were  gathered 
together  against  the  Holy  Child  Jesus,  whom  God  had 
anointed. 

7.  His  betrayal  and  the  purchase  of  the  potter's  field 
with  the  price  of  blood  was  foretold.  Zech.  xi.  12,  13: 
"If  ye  think  good,  give  me  my  price ;  if  not,  forbear,  so 
they  weighed  me  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  me.  Cast  it  unto  the  potter,  a  goodly  price  that 
I  was  prized  at  of  them.  And  I  took  the  thirty  pieces  of 
silver,  and  cast  them  unto  the  potter  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord."    Compare  Matthew  xxvii.  3-10. 

8.  Next  we  note  his  quiet  submission  to  the  scourging 
and  other  cruel  indignities.  Isaiah  liii.  7:  "He  was  op- 
pressed and  he  was  afflicted,  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth ; 
he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep 
before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth  not  his 
mouth."  Isaiah  1.  6:  "I  gave  my  back  to  the  smiters,  and 
my  cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off  the  hair;  I  hid  not 
my  face  from  shame  and  spitting."  "Psalm  cxxix.  3: 
"The  plowers  plow-ed  upon  my  back,  they  made  deep 
their  furrows."  A  full  record  of  these  things  is  found 
in  Matthew  xxvii.  13,  14,  26-31 ;  xxvi.  67,  68. 

9.  Then  his  crucifixion  along  with  others.  Psalm  xxii. 
16 :  'Tor  dogs  have  compassed  me ;  the  assembly  of  the 
wicked  have  enclosed  me ;  they  pierced  my  hands  and  my 
feet."  Zech.  xii.  10:  "They  shall  look  upon  me  whom 
they  have  pierced."      Isaiah  liii.  12:  "He  was  numbered 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  8i 

with  the  transgressors."  Compare  Mark  xv.  27,  28: 
"And  with  him  they  crucify  two  others;  the  one  on  his 
right  hand  and  the  other  on  his  left."  "And  the  Scripture 
was  fulfilled,  which  saith,  And  he  was  numbered  with 
the  transgressors." 

10.  Then  we  read  of  the  mocking  and  the  vinegar,  the 
gall,  the  lot.  Psalm  xxii.  7,  8,  18:  "They  laugh  me  to 
scorn ;  they  shoot  out  the  lip,  they  shake  the  head,  saying. 
He  trusted  on  the  Lord  that  he  would  deliver  him:  let 
him  deliver  him,  seeing  that  he  delighted  in  him."  "They 
part  my  garments  among  them,  and  cast  lots  upon  my 
vesture."  Psalm  Ixix.  21 :  "They  gave  me  also  gall  for 
my  meat;  and  in  my  thirst  they  gave  me  vinegar  to 
drink."  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke  tell  how  they  mocked 
him  and  reviled  him :  "He  saved  others,  himself  he  cannot 
save."  "If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from 
the  cross."  Matthew,  Mark  and  John  tell  how  they  di- 
vided his  garments,  and  cast  lots  for  his  coat,  woven 
throughout  without  seam,  "that  the  Scripture  might  be 
fulfilled."  All  the  Evangelists  tell  of  the  vinegar  they 
gave  him  for  his  thirst;  only  Matthew  tells  of  the  gall, 
given  probably  in  compassion  to  deaden  his  sensibility 
to  suffering,  which,  when  he  had  tasted,  he  refused  to 
drink. 

11.  His  intercession  and  his  death  for  sinners,  and  his 
burial  are  also  set  forth  in  prophecy.  Isaiah  liii.  12,  5, 
6,  9:  "He  hath  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death;"  "He 
bore  the  sin  of  many  and  made  intercession  for  the  trans- 
gressors ;"  "The  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of 
us  all ;"  "For  the  transgression  of  my  people  was  he 
stricken ;"  "For  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities."  "He  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our 
iniquities ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him, 
and  by  his  stripes  are  we  healed."    Comp.  Luke  xxiii.  34 : 


82  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

"Then  said  Jesus,  Father,  forgive  them  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do."  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John  tell  how 
Joseph  of  Arimathea,  an  honorable  man  and  a  counsellor 
and  evidently  rich,  secured  the  body  of  Jesus  and  laid  it 
in  his  own  new  tomb,  hewn  out  of  a  rock,  and  rolled  a 
great  stone  to  the  door  of  the  sepulchre;  "with  the  rich 
in  his  death."  Peter  confirms  the  language  of  Isaiah,  but 
cannot  say  it  plainer  or  better,  (i  Peter  ii.  23-25)  :  "Who, 
when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again ;  when  he  suffered, 
he  threatened  not;"  "Who,  his  own  self,  bare  our  sins  in 
his  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we  being  dead  to  sins, 
should  live  unto  righteousness,  by  whose  stripes  ye  were 
healed.  For  ye  were  as  sheep  going  astray ;  but  are  now 
returned  to  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your  souls." 

12.  The  last  group  we  mention  foretells  his  resurrec- 
tion, his  ascension,  his  glorification,  and  his  gifts  to  men. 
His  resurrection  is  foretold  in  Psalm  xvi.  9,  10:  "My 
flesh  shall  rest  in  hope.  For  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul 
in  hell  (sheol,  the  realm  of  the  dead,  the  grave),  neither 
wilt  thou  suffer  thy  Holy  One  to  see  corruption."  Peter 
in  Acts  ii.  25-32,  shows  that  David  was  not  speaking  of 
his  own  grave  and  his  own  body,  but,  "Being  a  prophet 
and  knowing  that  God  had  sworn  with  an  oath  to  him, 
that  of  the  fruit  of  his  loins  according  to  the  flesh,  he' 
would  raise  up  Christ  to  sit  on  his  throne ;  he  seeing  this 
before,  spake  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  that  his  soul 
was  not  left  in  hell,  neither  his  flesh  did  see  corruption." 
In  I  Cor.  XV.  4-8,  Paul  sums  up  the  evidence  of  his  resur- 
rection, and  puts  "according  to  the  Scriptures"  first  in 
the  summary.  Luke,  in  Acts  i.  3,  says :  "He  showed 
himself  by  many  infallible  proofs  for  forty  days." 

In  Psalm  Ixviii.  18,  we  read:  "Thou  hast  ascended  on 
high ;  thou  hast  led  captivity  captive ;  thou  hast  received 
gifts  for  men."     Psalm  ex.  i :  "The  Lord  said  unto  my 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  83 

Lord,  sit  thou  on  my  right  hand  till  I  make  thine  enemies 
thy  footstool."  Acts  i.  9:  "While  they  beheld,  he  was 
taken  up,  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight." 
Stephen  saw  him  in  his  ascension  glory.  Acts  vii.  55,  56 : 
"Being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  looked  up  steadfastly 
into  heaven,  and  saw  the  glory  of  God,  and  Jesus  stand- 
ing at  the  right  hand  of  God." 

The  Prophet  Joel  foretells  his  ascension  gifts ;  (Joel  ii. 
28,  29:  "I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  on  all  flesh;  and  your 
sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy;  you  old  men 
shall  dream  dreams,  and  your  young  men  shall  see 
visions,  and  also  upon  the  servants  and  the  handmaids  in 
those  days  will  I  pour  out  my  spirit."  These  wonderful 
ascension  gifts  were  given  at  Pentecost,  as  explained  by 
Peter,  Acts  ii.  6-21.  These  pentecostal  gifts,  called  some- 
times charisms  of  the  Spirit,  were  not  limited  to  a  few 
men  and  women,  specially  called  and  set  apart  to  the 
prophetic  office  in  an  official  way,  but  old  men,  and  young 
men,  men-servants  and  maid-servants,  a  whole  genera- 
tion of  believers,  with  no  respect  to  rank  or  social  or  offi- 
cial position,  were  practically  an  inspired  generation  of 
prophets  and  teachers.  The  remainder  of  that  prophecy 
of  Joel  seems  to  point  to  that  great  and  terrible  day  of  the 
Lord  which  culminated  in  the  destruction  of  the  Jewish 
state,  temple,  and  holy  city,  and  these  charisms  seem  in- 
tended, in  part  at  least,  to  deliver  his  own  elect  in  the 
"Great  tribulation,  such  as  was  not  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world  to  this  time,  no,  nor  ever  shall  be,"  for 
"Whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  saved." 


CHAPTER  X. 
Christ's  Prophecies. 

WE  have  seen  that  Christ  was  the  prophet — the  re- 
vealer  in  all  dispensation,  sometimes  in  his  own 
person,  but  more  commonly  by  prophets  and  by  his  Spirit, 
in  vision,  or  by  direct  inspiration,  or  both.  All  previous 
prophets  were  types  of  him,  received  their  commission 
from  him,  and  spake  the  messages  given  them  by  him. 
When  they  foretold  future  events,  as  they  often  did,  they 
saw  the  future  with  his  omniscient  eye.  "Holy  men  of 
God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  (2 
Peter  i.  21.)  All  prophets  subsequent  to  him  also  spake 
in  his  name  and  by  his  authority,  delivering  his  messages. 
There  is  a  proper  sense  in  which  he  was  the  only  prophet ; 
the  others  were  only  agents  employed  by  him,  and  they 
derived  all  their  power  from  him.  Other  human  prophets 
were  called  prophets  because  they  spake  for  him — 
they  were  his  spokesmen.  He  was  called  a  prophet  be- 
cause he  spake  for  the  Father.  The  Son,  Jehovah,  the 
second  person  in  the  Trinity,  was  spokesman  for  the 
Father.  In  the  theophanies  he  appeared  in  temporary  in- 
carnations, in  fire,  in  a  cloud,  and  in  other  forms ;  but 
in  the  fulness  of  time,  he  came  in  permanent  incarnation, 
the  Son  of  God  the  Son  of  Man,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus. 
He  himself  spake  many  prophecies,  foretelling  future 
events,  some  of  which  have  been  fulfilled,  and  some  are 
yet  to  be  fulfilled.    We  shall  consider  some  of  them : 

I.  He  foretells  the  persecution  of  his  disciples — perse- 
cutions, cruel,  relentless  and  unnatural.    Matt.  x.  16-25 : 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  85 

"Behold,  I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves. 
Beware  of  men,  for  they  will  deliver  you  up  to  councils, 
and  they  will  scourge  you  in  their  synagogues;  and  you 
shall  be  brought  before  governors  and  kings  for  my  sake : 
And  the  brother  shall  deliver  the  brother  up  to  death,  and 
the  father,  the  child;  and  the  children  shall  rise  up 
against  their  parents,  and  cause  them  to  be  put  to  death, 
and  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  sake.  ...  If  they 
have  called  the  master  of  the  house  Beelzebub,  how  much 
more  shall  they  call  them  of  his  household."  See  also 
Mark  xiii.  9;  and  John  xv.  18-21.  For  the  fulfilment,  we 
need  only  cite  the  persecution  that  began  with  Stephen, 
the  first  Christian  martyr,  Acts  viii.  1-4:  "At  that  time 
there  was  a  great  persecution  against  the  church,  which 
M^as  at  Jerusalem."  And  later  on,  came  the  ten  great 
persecutions  by  the  Roman  Empire,  and  then  all  the  blood 
of  the  martyrs,  down  to  the  present  day. 

2.  The  baptism  of  James  and  John.  Matt.  xx.  21-23 : 
When  their  mother  came  to  Jesus  and  asked  promotion 
for  her  sons  in  his  kingdom,  he  said,  "Are  ye  able  to 
drink  of  the  cup  that  I  shall  drink  of,  and  to  be  baptized 
with  the  baptism  that  I  shall  be  baptized  with  ?  They  said 
unto  him.  We  are  able.  And  he  said  unto  them,  ye  shall 
drink  indeed  of  my  cup,  and  be  baptized  with  the  baptism 
that  I  am  baptized  with."  The  cup  to  be  drained  means 
suffering.  Psalm  Ixxv.  8 :  "In  the  hand  of  the  Lord  there 
is  a  cup,  and  the  wine  is  red ;  it  is  full  of  mixture,  and  he 
poureth  out  of  the  same;  but  the  dregs  thereof,  all  the 
wacked  of  the  earth  shall  wring  them  out,  and  drink 
them."  Christ  prayed  in  Gethsemane:  "O  my  Father,  if 
it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me."  So  also  the 
word  baptism,  Luke  xii.  50:  'T  have  a  baptism  to  be 
baptized  with;  and  how  am  I  straitened  till  it  be  ac- 
complished." 


86  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

3.  He  foretells  his  betrayal  and  Peter's  denial  of  him, 
and  how  they  all  forsook  him  and  fled.  Matthew  tells  the 
story  in  chapter  xxvi.  Judas  covenanted  with  the  chief 
priests  to  deliver  him  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  and 
Christ  said  at  the  Passover  supper,  "One  of  you  shall 
betray  me,"  and  when  Judas,  reclining  on  his  left,  said, 
"Master,  is  it  I?"  Christ  replied:  'Thou  hast  said."  He 
said  again,  ''What  thou  doest,  do  quickly,"  and  Judas 
went  out.  Christ  also  told  his  disciples  that  they  would 
all  be  offended  and  forsake  him  that  night,  and  that  Peter 
should  deny  him  thrice  before  the  cock  crowed  twice. 
Peter  and  all  the  rest  said  that  they  would  die  with  him. 
The  story  of  the  fulfilment  need  hardly  be  recounted ;  how 
he  was  betrayed  in  the  garden ;  they  all  forsook  him  and 
fled,  and  Peter  denied  him  at  the  high  priest's  house. 

4.  He  foretells  the  manner  of  Peter's  death  by  cruci- 
fixion. John  xxi.  18,  19:  "When  thou  wast  young,  thou 
girdedst  thyself  and  walkedst  whither  thou  wouldst:  But 
when  thou  shalt  be  old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands 
and  another  shall  gird  thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou 
wouldest  not.  This  spake  he,  signifying  by  what  death  he 
should  glorify  God."  Tradition  says  that  Peter  asked  to 
be  crucified  with  his  head  downwards,  because  he  thought 
himself  not  worthy  to  be  crucified  upright  like  his  Master. 

5.  He  foretells  his  own  death  and  resurrection  several 
times.  Matt.  xii.  39,  40:  "As  Jonas  was  three  days  and 
three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly,  so  shall  the  Son  of 
Man  be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the 
earth."  Matt.  xvi.  21 :  "From  that  time  forth  began  Jesus 
to  show  unto  his  disciples  how  that  he  must  go  unto 
Jerusalem,  and  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and  chief 
priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed  and  rise  again  on  the 
third  day."  Matt.  xx.  17-19:  "Behold,  we  go  up  to  Jeru- 
salem; and  the  Son  of  Man  shall  be  betrayed  unto  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  87 

chief  priests  and  unto  the  scribes,  and  they  shall  condemn 
him  to  death,  and  shall  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles  to 
mock,  and  to  scourge,  and  to  crucify  him,  and  the  third 
day  he  shall  rise  again."  We  hardly  need  to  recount  the 
story  of  his  suffering,  death,  and  resurrection,  to  show 
the  fulfilment  of  these  prophecies.  The  story  is  the 
foundation  of  the  faith  and  hope  of  every  believer. 

6.  He  foretells  the  destruction  of  the  Jewish  nation ; 
(Luke  xiii.  1-5.)  When  some  one  told  him  of  the  Gali- 
leans, whose  blood  Pilate  mingled  with  their  sacrifices, 
he  said :  "Suppose  ye  that  these  Galileans  were  sinners 
above  all  Galileans,  because  they  suffered  such  things?  I 
tell  you,  Nay ;  but,  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish.  Or  those  eighteen  on  whom  the  tower  of  Siloam 
fell,  etc.  I  tell  you,  Nay ;  but,  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall 
all  likewise  perish."  The  emphasis  is  on  the  "all  like- 
wise," foreshowing  great  disaster  on  that  entire  people — 
great  temporal  disaster.  It  was  for  this  he  wept  over 
Jerusalem.  Matt,  xxiii.  37,  38:  "Behold  your  house  is 
left  unto  you  desolate." 

7.  The  destruction  of  the  city  and  temple  is  but  a  part 
of  this  great  national  overthrow.  (Matt.  xxiv.  i,  2.) 
When  Jesus  went  out  of  the  temple  for  the  last  time,  his 
disciples  showed  him  the  wonders  of  the  structure,  and 
he  said:  "See  ye  not  all  these  things?  Verily  I  say  unto 
you.  There  shall  not  be  left  there  one  stone  upon  another, 
that  shall  not  be  thrown  down."  (Luke  xix.  43,  44;  xxi. 
20-24.)  We  need  quote  only  in  part,  "Thine  enemies 
shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee,  and  compass  thee  round, 
and  keep  thee  in  on  every  side,  and  shall  lay  thee  even 
with  the  ground  and  thy  children  within  thee."  *'For 
these  be  the  days  of  vengeance ;  .  .  .  and  they  shall  fall 
by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  shall  be  led  away  captive 
into  all  nations,  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  of 


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the  Gentiles,  till  the  time  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled."  The 
Jewish  campaigns  of  Vespasian  and  Titus  left  nothing 
unfulfilled. 

8.  He  foretells  his  going  away  and  return.  John  vii. 
33 :  "Yet  a  little  while  I  am  with  you,  and  then  I  go  unto 
him  that  sent  me."  He  said  the  same  unto  his  disciples 
again  in  John  xiii.  33.  In  John  xvi.  16,  he  says:  "A  little 
while,  and  ye  shall  see  me ;  and  again  a  little  while,  and 
ye  shall  not  see  me,  because  I  go  to  my  Father."  And 
in  John  xiv.  2,  3 :  "I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you ;  I  will 
come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  myself;  that  where  I 
am  ye  may  be  also."  By  comparing  John  xiv.  19,  28,  29, 
with  those  others  just  quoted,  it  is  obvious  that  this 
promised  coming  back  refers,  primarily,  if  not  entirely, 
to  his  coming  back  for  individual  believers  to  carry  us 
to  the  Father's  house,  which  has  many  mansions. 

9.  He  foretells  his  resurrection  call.  In  John  v.  17-31, 
he  claims  the  prerogatives  of  quickening,  of  judgment,  of 
regeneration,  and  of  the  resurrection,  as  given  him  by  the 
Father,  and  each  is  the  pledge  and  guarantee  of  all  the 
rest.  ''For  as  the  Father  raiseth  up  the  dead,  and  quick- 
enetli  them ;  even  so  the  Son  quickeneth  whom  he  will. 
For  the  Father  judgeth  no  man,  but  hath  committed  all 
judgment  to  the  Son."  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
The  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  (dead  in 
sin)  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  they 
that  hear  shall  live.  For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  him- 
self;  so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to  have  Hfe  in  himself." 
Compare  Eph.  ii.  i.  Then  he  adds  as  the  climax  of  these 
correlated  prerogatives :  "Marvel  not  at  this,  for  the  hour 
is  coming  in  the  which  all  they  that  are  in  their  graves 
shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth,  they  that 
have  done  good  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 


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10.  The  general  judgrnent  is  also  foreshown  by  him — 
a  just  judgment — an  authorized  judgment,  given  him  to 
execute,  of  which  God  hath  "given  all  men  assurance,  in 
that  he  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead."  The  principles 
of  that  great  assize  are  announced  in  Matt.  xxv.  31-46: 
"When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all 
his  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  on  the  throne 
of  his  glory ;  and  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations : 
and  he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  shep- 
herd divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats,"  etc.  ''These  go 
away  unto  everlasting  punishment ;  but  the  righteous  into 
life  eternal."  Christ  revealed  this  same  to  John  in 
Apocalyptic  vision,  Rev.  xx.  11-14:  "And  I  saw  a  great 
white  throne,  and  him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the 
earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away;  and  there  was  found  no 
place  for  them.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great, 
stand  before  God ;  and  the  books  were  opened,  and  an- 
other book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life,  and  the 
dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which  were  written 
in  the  books,  according  to  their  works.  .  .  .  And  who- 
soever was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life  was  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire." 

11.  He  made  emphatic  mention  of  his  second  coming, 
and  so  do  several  of  the  apostles.  But  there  is  a  great 
diversity  of  opinion  as  to  their  exact  meaning,  and  these 
differences  turn  largely  on  the  time  of  his  coming, 
whether  pre-millennial  or  post-millennial.  The  full  con- 
sideration of  these  differences  of  opinion  call  for  a  special 
discussion,  and  are  now  passed  over.  But  there  are  some 
points  on  which  all  agree,  literally  or  typically : 

I.  He  shall  come  suddenly;  when  not  expected.  Matt, 
xxiv.  37-39:  "As  the  days  of  Noah  were,  so  shall  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be,"  etc.  Luke  xvii.  24-30: 
"For  as  the  lightning,  that  lighteneth  out  of  one  part 


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under  heaven;  so  also  shall  the  Son  of  Man  be  in  his 
day." 

2.  He  shall  come  in  clouds  and  great  glory  to  gather 
his  people.  Matthew  xxiv.  30,  31 :  "Then  shall  appear 
the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven,  and  then  shall 
all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see  the 
Son  of  Man  coming  in  clouds  and  great  glory.  And  he 
shall  send  his  angels  with  the  great  sound  of  a  trumpet, 
and  they  shall  gather  his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  and 
from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other." 

3.  It  will  also  be  a  day  of  vengeance  of  our  Lord. 
2  Thess.  i.  8:  "The  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from 
heaven  with  his  holy  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  ven- 
geance on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the 
Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Malachi  iii.  2 :  "Who 
may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming;  and  who  may  stand 
when  he  appeareth?" 

While  several  of  these  and  similar  prophecies  refer 
primarily  to  the  destruction  of  the  Jewish  polity,  all  agree 
that  there  shall  be  a  later  and  higher  fulfilment. 

12.  His  promises  are  all  prophecies.  His  power  and 
his  truth  stand  pledged  to  the  fulfilment  of  every  promise. 
They  shall  surely  come  to  pass.  2  Corinthians  i.  20 :  "All 
the  promises  of  God  in  him  are  yea,  and  in  him  are 
Amen."  Both  Testaments  are  full  of  his  promises.  Mat- 
thew xi.  28,  29:  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest."  John  vi.  37 : 
"All  that  the  Father  hath  given  me  shall  come  unto  me ; 
and  him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 
Isaiah  i.  18 :  "Come  now  and  let  us  reason  together,  saith 
the  Lord ;  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as 
white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they 
shall  be  as  wool." 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  Parousia,  or  the  Coming. 

THERE  are  two  comings  of  Christ  which  are  evi- 
dently taught  in  the  Scriptures,  and  are  spoken 
of  as  the  first  and  second  comings.  He  came  first  in  the 
flesh  to  redeem  the  race,  and  this  coming  includes  all  his 
life,  from  his  birth  to  his  resurrection  and  ascension.  He 
will  come  a  second  time  in  clouds  and  great  glory  to 
judge  the  living  and  the  dead.  This  much  is  conceded  by 
all  interpreters  of  the  Scriptures.  After  this,  there  is  a 
wide  divergence  of  views. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  terms  and  phrases,  which 
all  confessedly  refer  to  a  coming  of  Christ,  either  di- 
rectly or  by  necessary  implication.  We  may  quote  some 
of  them:  "The  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,"  "Thy  king- 
dom come,"  "The  day  of  the  Lord,"  "He  shall  come  in 
clouds  and  great  glory,"  "The  glorious  appearing,"  "The 
Lord  is  at  hand,"  "Behold  I  come  quickly,"  "Come,  Lord 
Jesus,"  "He  that  is  and  was  and  is  to  come,"  "When  the 
Son  of  Man  cometh,"  "Then  shall  the  end  be,"  and  such 
like.  Such  terms  and  phrases  are  freely  used  in  Mes- 
sianic prophecy,  in  Christ's  prophecies,  in  the  Epistles, 
and  in  the  Book  of  Revelation. 

There  is  hardly  a  difference  of  opinion  about  those  that 
refer  to  his  first  coming  in  the  flesh,  and  some  do  neces- 
sarily refer  to  his  second  coming  in  person.  It  is  claimed 
by  some  that  all  such  terms  and  phrases  refer  to  one  or 
the  other  of  these  two  comings.  They  interpret  the 
prophecies  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  as  referring  to  the 


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second  coming  only,  and  they  so  interpret  all  references 
to  the  Parousia,  or  Coming,  wherever  found  in  the  New 
Testament. 

Besides  this,  there  are  diversities  as  to  the  times,  rela- 
tions, and  manifestations  of  the  second  coming;  also  as 
to  the  place  it  should  hold  in  the  faith  of  the  church. 
Some,  in  exalting  it,  interpret  prophecy  with  intense  dog- 
matism, and  seem  chargeable  with  violating  the  propor- 
tion of  faith,  and  of  minimizing  fundamental  teachings  of 
the  Scriptures. 

We  do  not  expect  to  solve  all  the  questions  that  arise 
here,  within  the  compass  of  this  discussion,  if  indeed,  it 
can  be  done  at  all.  We  may  not  dogmatize  about  the 
details  of  unfulfilled  prophecy,  much  less  can  we  make 
the  best  attainments  in  holiness  to  depend  on  the  accept- 
ance of  such  dogmatic  interpretations  as  some  do.  And 
if  it  shall  be  made  to  appear  that  the  Parousia  designates 
a  number  of  things  distinct  from  the  second  coming 
and  not  to  be  confounded  with  it,  then  their  whole  system 
of  exegesis  falls  under  suspicion,  if  it  be  not  entirely 
overthrown.  We  pass  by  the  Old  Testament  prophecies 
of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  as  the  Lord,  as  David  the 
King,  as  the  Saviour,  as  a  Son  born,  as  Immanuel,  as  the 
Prince  of  Peace,  as  the  Suffering  Servant,  as  the  Seed  of 
the  woman,  as  the  Seed  of  Abraham,  as  the  Son  of  a 
virgin,  and  such  like;  all  of  which  were  confessedly  ful- 
filled in  the  Incarnate  Son  of  God,  born  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus, 
the  author  of  eternal  redemption,  the  Good  Shepherd, 
crucified,  dead,  buried,  risen,  ascended,  and  set  down  at 
the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God. 

Now,  Old  Testament  Messianic  prophecy  does  not  stop 
with  this  first  coming,  but  spans  the  whole  arc  of  Gospel 
times,  under  the  oft-repeated   formula:   "It  shall  come 


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to  pass  in  that  day;"  and  covers  the  whole  Christian  dis- 
pensation, and  outlines  the  progress  and  the  final  triumph 
of  the  Gospel  until  the  resurrection  and  the  general 
judgment. 

The  New  Testament  takes  up  these  same  prophecies 
in  the  same  terms  and  in  varied  expression,  and  by  fre- 
quent reference,  covering  all  the  ground  from  Pentecost 
to  the  final  glory.  We  propose  to  show  that  the  whole  of 
Christ's  administration,  in  person  and  by  the  Spirit,  from 
Pentecost  to  the  general  judgment,  is  the  real  Parousia  or 
coming.  This  will  be  the  more  evident  if  we  shall  suc- 
ceed in  classifying  the  various  leading  acts  of  his  admin- 
istration as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures,  both  prophetically 
and  historically. 

He  is  prophet,  priest  and  king.  His  administration 
continued  in  all  three  offices,  but  we  are  mainly  con- 
cerned in  this  discussion  with  his  administration  as  king. 
We  speak  of  his  spiritual  kingdom,  which  also  has  a 
parallel  visible  form  and  organization,  and  we  speak  of 
his  providential  kingdom.  These  two  are  not  separate 
and  independent  kingdoms,  but  are  both  included  in  his 
mediatorial  kingdom ;  "For  he  is  head  over  all  things  to 
the  church."  We  also  speak  of  his  moral  government 
over  moral  beings,  and  his  government  of  animal  and 
physical  creation.  We  may  very  properly  make  these 
distinctions  and  others  in  our  analysis,  but  we  must  guard 
against  the  idea  of  separate  and  independent  ad- 
ministrations. 

These  several  governments  or  kingdoms  have  been 
coeval  with  the  race,  and  no  new  rule  was  given  him  at 
any  time.  The  seven  thousand  in  Israel,  who  had  not 
bowed  the  knee  to  Baal,  were  as  truly  members  of  his 
spiritual  kingdom  as  the  three  thousand  who  entered  it  at 
Pentecost.     He  was  the  providential  ruler  and  guide  of 


94  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

Joseph  in  Egypt,  and  of  John  on  Patmos.  His  moral 
government  has  always  included  angels,  men,  and  devils. 
His  mediatorial  kingdom  extends  from  Eden  to  the  res- 
urrection. 

The  invisible  spiritual  kingdom  has  no  organization  in 
this  world.  The  visible  church  has  its  organization  and 
government,  including  spiritual  and  carnal  elements,  and 
is  not  purely  a  spiritual  body  like  the  invisible  church, 
which  it  overlaps  and  represents.  He  is  not  the  spiritual 
head  of  the  visible  church  in  the  same  sense  in  which  he 
is  the  head  of  the  spiritual  kingdom,  but  only  so  far  as 
every  believer  has  the  kingdom  in  his  heart.  His  govern- 
ment of  the  outward  kingdom  is  rather  providential. 

Having  made  these  distinctions,  we  are  prepared  to 
see  that  the  Parousia  or  the  administration  of  his  kingdom 
embraces  some  things  that  refer  only  to  the  spiritual 
kingdom,  some  that  refer  only  to  the  visible  church,  some 
that  refer  only  to  individuals,  some  only  to  nations,  some 
only  to  the  race,  some  only  to  devils,  some  only  to  the 
physical  universe,  and  some  only  to  the  final  consumma- 
tion of  all  things.  He  was  and  is  equally  connected  with 
them  all  as  mediatorial  king.  We  may  note  several  mani- 
festations of  the  Parousia : 

I.  The  coming  in  his  kingdom.  Christ  says:  "There 
be  some  here  that  shall  not  taste  death  till  they  see  the 
Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom."  (Matt.  xvi.  28.) 
Mark  says :  "Till  they  have  seen  the  kingdom  of  God 
come  with  power."  (Mark  ix.  i.)  Luke  says:  "Till  they 
have  seen  the  kingdom  of  God."  (Luke  ix.  27.)  Whatever 
these  equivalent  expressions  may  mean,  it  came  in  the 
lifetime  of  his  disciples.  Pentecost  only  fulfills  this  pro- 
phecy. We  are  confirmed  in  this  by  the  fact  that  so 
many  other  extraordinary  prophecies  converge  on  that 
day.    This  hardly  needs  to  be  argued.    At  any  rate,  this 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  95 

coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  can  have  no  possible  reference 
to  his  personal  second  coming  at  the  end  of  this  dispensa- 
tion, whether  pre-millennial  or  post-millennial. 

2.  His  coming  to  overthrow  the  Jewish  people,  the 
temple,  and  the  Jewish  polity.  (Matt.  xxiv.  1-42.)  The 
disciples  were  told  that  there  should  not  be  one  stone 
left  on  another  of  the  temple,  that  should  not  be  thrown 
down.  They  asked  him  privately :  "When  shall  these 
things  be,  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  the  coming,  and 
of  the  end  of  the  world?"  He  answered  with  a  rapid 
sketch  of  what  should  transpire  before  the  end ;  verses 
4-14,  and  says :  "^'then  shall  the  end  come."  "End  of 
what?"  "The  world" — the  aeon — the  age — the  Jewish 
polity,  as  we  shall  see. 

Then  he  gives  more  elaborate  answer  of  the  coming 
of  the  end — the  Roman  armies — the  false  Christs — the 
great  tribulation,  unequalled  before  or  since.  Verses 
15-28.  He  says  that  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man 
should  be  like  the  shining,  sudden  lightning ;  the  carcass 
and  the  eagles  shall  be  unmistakable  signs.  Without  at- 
tempting here  to  expound  fully  Daniel's  prophecies  in  the 
eleventh  and  twelfth  chapters  of  that  book,  it  sufficeth  to 
say  that  the  abomination  of  desolation,  the  eagles,  and 
the  taking  away  of  the  sacrifice,  refer  to  the  siege  of  Jeru- 
salem by  Roman  armies,  the  destruction  of  the  city  and 
temple  and  the  end  of  the  Jewish  polity.  And 
they  who  asked  him  when  these  things  should  be,  were 
told  they  should  see  these  things  in  their  life-time. 

Then  he  cites  the  portents  that  should  accompany  his 
coming,  verses  29-31 :  "Immediately  after  the  tribulation 
of  those  days  shall  the  sun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon 
shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from 
heaven,  and  the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be  shaken."  These 
symbolisms  express  the  direst  calamities.     "Then  shall 


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appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven;  and  then 
shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see 
the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
power  and  great  glory.  And  he  shall  send  his  angels  with 
a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together 
his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven 
to  the  other."  "When  ye  shall  see  all  these  things,  know 
that  it  is  near,  even  at  the  door." 

One  will  say :  "Surely  these  things  refer  to  his  second 
coming."  Not  at  all.  For  Christ  adds,  verse  34 :  "Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  This  generation  shall  not  pass  till  all  these 
things  shall  be  fulfilled." 

Language,  and  symbols,  and  figures  of  speech,  and  the 
direst  cataclysms  possible  in  nature  fail  to  set  forth  fully 
the  horrors  of  his  vengeance  when  he  came  to  overthrow 
the  Jewish  people,  the  temple,  and  the  Jewish  polity. 
Then  he  bids  them  watch,  because  they  know  not  what 
hour  the  Lord  doth  come,  and  gives  counsel  and  promise 
to  insure  safety.  It  will  be  shown  later  on  how  he  passes 
from  this  to  another  coming. 

3.  He  cometh  to  avenge  his  people.  Paul  says : 
"Dearly  beloved,  avenge  not  yourselves,  but  rather  give 
place  unto  wrath ;  for  it  is  written,  Vengeance  is  mine ; 
I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord."  (Rom.  xii.  19.)  See  Deut. 
xxxii.  35 ;  and  in  numerous  places  in  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures.  The  imprecatory  Psalms  teach  us  that  he 
makes  his  people's  cause  his  own. 

He  comes  to  avenge  his  people  in  answer  to  their  cry. 
(Luke  xviii.  1-8.)  "He  spake  a  parable  to  this  end  that 
men  ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint" — the  parable 
of  the  unjust  judge.  This  is  evidently  a  prayer  lesson 
to  persons  who  pray.  The  application  he  makes  of  the 
parable  is  this:  "Shall  not  God  avenge  his  own  elect 
which  cry  day  and  night  unto  him,  though  he  bear  long 


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with  them?  I  tell  you  he  will  avenge  them  speedily." 
Then  he  adds :  "Nevertheless,  when  the  Son  of  Man 
cometh,  shall  he  find  faith  on  the  earth?"  That  is,  when 
he  comes  to  answer  prayer,  our  faith  will  in  no  sense  be 
commensurate  with  the  answer. 

In  order  to  escape  this  lesson  of  the  parable,  and  the 
caveat  which  is  added,  and  in  order  to  make  this  purely 
a  second  coming  parable,  they  do  allegorize  the  entire 
parable,  and  make  the  widow  represent  the  widowed 
church,  oppressed  and  persecuted,  crying  almost  hope- 
lessly to  an  apparently  hard-hearted  judge,  who  will 
avenge  her  after  long  delays ;  and  they  say  that  the 
"speedily"  has  no  reference  to  lapse  of  time,  but  only 
refers  to  the  imminent  expectation  of  the  second  com- 
ing, the  sole  hope  of  the  church.  Then  they  say  that 
when  he  shall  come,  be  the  time  long  or  short,  there  will 
be  but  little  true  faith  on  the  earth,  and  his  second  coming 
will  be  a  day  of  vengeance  on  an  unbelieving  world — the 
great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord. 

In  support  of  this  last  contention,  they  cite  the  parable 
of  the  leaven  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  and  they  tell 
us  that  the  leaven  is  the  sin  of  unbelief,  and  that  it  shall 
so  leaven  and  corrupt  the  whole  earth  that  Christ  must 
needs  come  to  destroy  the  world,  and  rescue  his  elect 
bride,  "The  lamb's  wife,"  from  her  oppressions  and  per- 
secutions. 

These  are  fair  samples  of  the  allegorizing  exegesis, 
which  is  made  to  do  duty  in  proving  that  all  references 
to  his  coming  mean  his  second  coming  in  person.  By 
such  methods,  any  truth  may  be  perverted  or  set  aside, 
and  any  subjective  conceit  set  up  in  its  place. 

4.  His  presence  with  his  people  to  answer  prayer.  We 
here  note  the  true  meaning  of  the  Parousia.  This  word 
has  been  adopted  by  convention  to  include  all  comings  of 


9^  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  any  and  all  purposes  in  the 
administration  of  his  mediatorial  kingdom.  This  word  is 
a  compound  of  the  neuter  verb,  "to  be."  It  means  "to  be 
present,"  "to  be  alongside  of,"  ''to  be  at  hand."  This 
root  idea  is  present  in  all  forms  of  the  verb  and  its  deriva- 
tives. They  are  often  rendered  "come"  and  ^'coming;" 
but  the  notion  of  coming  is  not  in  the  words  themselves, 
but  in  the  context,  and  the  rendering  is  proper.  Other 
words,  expressing  action,  are  also  used  to  express  the 
comings.  The  distinction  is  not  far  to  see.  In  one  case, 
active  intervention  is  the  prominent  idea;  in  the  other 
case,  continuous  presence  or  ever-presence  for  the  pur- 
poses expressed,  is  evidently  the  prominent  idea. 

We  find,  then,  his  presence  with  his  people  to  answer 
prayer,  with  a  special  warrant  for  social  prayer.  (Matt. 
xviii.  19,  20:  "If  two  of  you  shall  agree  on  earth  as 
touching  any  thing  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done 
for  them  of  my  Father,  which  is  in  heaven.  For  where 
two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my  name,  there  am 
I  in  the  midst  of  them." 

5.  His  presence  to  provide  for  his  people  and  bless 
them  by  his  providential  care.  Phil.  iv.  4,  5,  6:  "Rejoice 
in  the  Lord  always."  "Let  your  moderation  be  known 
to  all  men ;  the  Lord  is  at  hand.  Be  careful  for  nothing, 
but  in  everything  with  prayer  and  thanksgiving,  let  your 
requests  be  made  known  unto  God."  The  Lord  is  at 
hand,  or  near,  with  providential  care.  This  is  the  same 
doctrine  that  is  taught  more  fully  in  Matthew  vi.  25-34. 
Nothing  but  a  foregone  conclusion  can  find  in  it  the  im- 
minency  of  the  second  coming. 

6.  His  presence  with  those  who  spread  the  Gospel. 
Matthew  xxviii.  19,  20:  "Go  ye  therefore  and  teach  all 
nations,"  etc. ;  ''and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ, 


99 


In  fact,  the  Scriptures  teach  a  universal  Parousia,  and 
ever-presence  with  his  people  in  all  conditions  and  emer- 
gencies. In  proof  of  this,  we  need  only  to  cite  the  twenty- 
third  Psalm  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  its  companion 
piece  in  John  x.  1-18. 

7.  His  coming  to  reckon  with  individuals,  both  during 
life  and  at  death — to  reckon  with  both  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked.  This  is  the  very  essence  of  a  moral  govern- 
ment. The  parables  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  the  Ten  Talents, 
and  the  Ten  Pounds,  all  converge  to  this  point,  so  far  as 
they  enunciate  the  principles  of  his  government.  This 
reckoning  is  consummated  at  death,  and  declared  at  the 
general  judgment.  "As  the  tree  falleth,  so  it  shall  lie. 
As  death  leaveth  us,  so  shall  the  judgment  find  us."  'Tt 
is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  and  after  this  the 
judgment.  It  has  been  held  by  believers  that  Christ 
comes  for  his  people  at  death  in  a  true  and  proper  sense. 
What  else  did  Stephen  mean  when  he  said :  "Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit?"  What  else  did  the  Psalmist  mean 
when  he  said :  "Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  cleath,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  thou  art  with 
me,  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me." 

A  plausible  exegesis  may  make  these  passages  mean 
something  else,  but  God's  people  will  still  cherish  the 
popular  and  traditional  view  that  the  dying  believer  is 
safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus,  and  that  the  whole  trend  of 
Scripture  sustains  it.    John  xiv.  3,  is  a  personal  promise. 

Yet  we  are  told  that  it  is  wrong  to  talk  about  preparing 
for  death,  or,  at  least,  that  it  is  a  very  low  and  groveling 
faith  that  makes  one  expect  to  die  when  we  ought  to  be 
ever  watchful  and  on  the  alert  for  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  Man.  They  quote  Titus  ii.  11-13:  "Looking  for  that 
blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  Great 
God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."    Paul  uses  this  term 


loo  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

"appearing"  five  times.  Once  it  certainly  refers  to  his 
second  coming  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead.  Four 
times  it  means  as  many  distinct  things,  which  is  evident 
from  each  context,  just  as  we  claim  for  the  coming.  The 
word  "appear"  is  also  used  in  two  or  more  meanings, 
which  can  only  be  decided  by  the  context. 

8.  His  coming  to  execute  judgment  on  nations.  Na- 
tions, as  such,  have  no  resurrection,  and  cannot  be  ar- 
raigned, as  such,  at  the  final  judgment.  But  they  are 
under  his  moral  government,  and  he  executes  judgment 
on  them  in  the  unfolding  of  history.  These  facts  are 
revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  and  there  we  find  the  key  to 
history.  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Amnion  and  Nineveh, 
Edom  and  Moab,  Tyre  and  Babylon,  attest  his  visitations. 
The  ninety-eighth  Psalm  is  a  song  of  praise  and  joy,  "Be- 
fore the  Lord,  for  he  cometh  to  judge  the  earth.  With 
righteousness  shall  he  judge  the  world,  and  the  people 
with  equity."  This  cannot  be  the  general  judgment  only, 
because  part  of  it  was  already  accomplished,  and  was  a 
matter  of  joy  and  praise,  as  is  recounted  in  verse  i. 
Compare  Psalm  xcvi.   13. 

In  recounting  these  eight  manifestations  or  sub-divi- 
sions of  the  Parousia  or  coming,  we  have  sought  an  ex- 
haustive, rather  than  a  scientific  classification  of  his  ad- 
ministrative activities  in  his  mediatorial  reign  in  this 
world,  prior  to  the  millennium,  at  least,  and  certainly 
prior  to  the  general  judgment.  Some  of  these  items 
overlap  each  other  and  really  imply  each  other. 

9.  His  second  coming  in  person.  That  he  shall  come 
a  second  time  in  person,  is  conceded  by  all,  however  much 
they  may  differ  as  to  the  time,  purposes,  mode,  measure, 
and  continuance  of  his  administration  therewith.  We 
rely  on  such  passages  as  these.  Acts  i.  11 :  ''This  same 
Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven  shall  so 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  ioi 

come  in  like  manner  as  you  have  seen  him  go  into 
heaven;"  John  i.  51:  Christ  said,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you.  Hereafter  ye  shall  see  the  heaven  open,  and  the 
angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  upon  the  Son 
of  Man;"  Matt.  xxvi.  64:  "Hereafter  shall  ye  see  the 
Son  of  Man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power  and  com- 
ing in  the  clouds  of  heaven." 

It  is  proper  here  to  put  in  a  much-needed  caveat.  It  is 
difficult  to  dogmatize  about  unfulfilled  prophecy.  The 
literal  and  the  figurative  are  often  so  blended  that  it  is 
difficult  to  distinguish  between  them.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  symbolism,  which  is  not  always  easy  to  explain, 
even  in  fulfilled  prophecy,  and  it  is  much  more  difficult  in 
unfulfilled  prophecy.  Perhaps  that  is  what  Peter  meant 
when  he  said :  "No  prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any 
private  interpretation,"  (2  Peter  i.  20),  or  better,  "No 
prophecy  is  its  own  interpreter,"  or  "Furnishes  its  own 
interpretation."  The  Greek  word  rendered  "private" 
seems  to  justify  this  exegesis. 

Certain  outlines  of  facts  are  stated  clearly  and  boldly 
in  prophecy,  and  may  not  easily  be  set  aside;  other  facts 
in  detail  are  far  more  difficult  of  explanation.  The  litera- 
ture of  the  matter  under  discussion  is  abundant  illustra- 
tion of  this.     We  need,  therefore,  to  proceed  cautiously. 

There  are  two  widely  divergent  views,  the  pre-millen- 
nial  and  the  post-millennial.  One  says  that  Christ  will 
come  in  person  at  the  close  of  the  millennium,  and  the 
other  says  that  his  personal  coming  will  usher  in  the  mil- 
lennium, and  that  he  will  remain  till  the  final  consumma- 
tion of  all  things  earthly.  We  shall  consider  the  post- 
millennial  view  first,  for  this  is  the  one  usually  received, 
and  most  in  accordance  with  the  creeds  of  the  Reformed 
Churches,  which  seem  to  limit  his  personal  presence  to  the 
resurrection  and  the  general  judgment. 


102  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

This  view  assumes  that  the  Gospel  will  be  preached  by 
the  church,  as  at  present  organized,  until  the  whole  world 
shall,  slowly  or  rapidly,  be  won  to  Christ,  and  the  race 
shall  be  redeemed  from  paganism  and  idolatry,  and  the 
Jews  won  back  to  Christ.  Then  there  shall  be  a  thousand 
years  (perhaps  three  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  years) 
during  which  the  Gospel  shall  prevail  over  all  the  earth, 
perhaps  in  the  same  sense  in  which  false  religions  pre- 
viously prevailed,  and  during  which  the  powers  of  evil 
shall  be  so  restrained  that  Christ  and  his  saints  shall  rule 
the  world,  just  as  Satan  and  his  host  had  ruled  it  pre- 
viously. This  view  does  not  recognize  the  personal  pres- 
ence of  Christ  in  the  millennium,  except  as  he  is  present 
with  the  church  to-day,  which  presence  has  been  shown 
to  be  one  phase  of  the  Parousia.  The  church  holds  a 
commission  to  disciple  all  nations  and  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creature,  and  has  the  promise  of  his  presence, 
guidance,  and  help  till  it  be  accomplished. 

The  full  accomplishment  of  this  is  amply  set  forth  in 
Messianic  prophecy.  The  covenant  with  Abraham  guar- 
antees that  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  all  the  families 
of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  in  him  and  his  seed ;  and 
Paul  tells  us :  "That  the  seed  is  Christ."  Isaiah  sets  forth 
the  glorious  triumphs  of  the  Gospel  when  the  "knowledge 
of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea;"  (Isaiah  xi.  1-9.)  So  also  in  Micah  iv.  1-7;  Isaiah 
xlv.  22,  23;  Phil.  ii.  9-11.  "Look  unto  me  and  be  ye 
saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth :  for  I  am  God  and  none 
else.  I  have  sworn  by  myself,  the  word  hath  gone  out  of 
my  mouth  in  righteousness,  and  shall  not  return,  that 
every  knee  shall  bow  and  every  tongue  shall  swear ;"  "And 
that  every  tongue  shall  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord 
to  the  o-lorv  of  God  the  father." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ,  103 

Two  great  events  are  certainly  connected  with  his  sec- 
ond coming,  the  Resurrection  and  the  General  Judgment. 

First,  the  Resurrection.  Christ  said,  when  discussing 
the  prerogatives  of  the  sonship,  "The  hour  is  coming 
when  all  they  that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice 
and  shall  come  forth;  they  that  have  done  good  unto 
the  resurrection  of  life;  and  they  that  have  done  evil  to 
the  resurrection  of  damnation."  (John  v.  28,  29.)  Paul 
says:  "There  shall  be  a  resurrection  of  the  dead,  both  of 
the  just  and  the  unjust."  (Acts  xxiv.  15.)  And  so  every- 
where in  the  Scriptures ;  notably  i  Cor.  xv. 

The  resurrection  of  the  dead  and  the  sudden  change  of 
the  living  shall  attend  the  "Coming  of  our  Lord;"  "For 
the  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout, 
with  a  voice  of  an  arch-angel,  and  with  the  trump  of 
God,"  all  of  which  we  learn  from  i  Thess.  iv.  15-18. 

Then,  certainly,  comes  the  General  Judgment.  We 
learn  from  Jude  that  the  fallen  angels  shall  be  judged  in 
that  great  day.  (Jude,  verse  6.)  The  righteous  and  the 
wicked  will  stand  before  the  Judge,  as  we  learn  from 
Matt.  XXV.  31-46.  All  the  dead  shall  be  judged.  (Rev. 
XX.   11-15.) 

When  Christ  had  replied  to  the  questions  of  his  disci- 
ples concerning  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  to  destroy 
Jerusalem,  the  Temple  and  the  Jewish  polity,  as  already 
noted,  he  passes  on  to  tell  them  of  his  second  coming  to 
judge  all  nations  and  peoples  at  the  general  judgment. 
The  one  was  a  type  of  the  other.  The  wonderful  por- 
tents and  cataclysms  which  described  his  coming  to  judge 
the  Jewish  nation,  also  should  signalize  the  general  judg- 
ment and  therefore  made  it  logical  to  pass  from  the  dis- 
cussion of  one  to  the  other.  The  doctrine  of  historic 
types  is  familiar  to  every  Bible  student,  and  therefore  we 
need  not  expand  this  further. 


104  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

The  principles  regulating  the  general  judgment  are 
already  set  forth  in  Matt.  xxv.  31-46,  and  also  in  Rev.  xx. 
11-15  and  elsewhere;  and  also  the  justice  of  the  sentences 
pronounced.  It  is  hardly  pertinent  to  discuss  this  at  pres- 
ent, except  to  quote  "These  go  away  into  everlasting  pun- 
ishment, but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal." 

Beyond  this  nothing  is  revealed  except  this — "Then 
cometh  the  end,  when  he  shall  have  delivered  up  the  king- 
dom to  God,  even  the  Father."  "Then  shall  the  Son 
himself  be  subject  unto  him  that  put  all  things  under  him 
that  God  may  be  all  in  all."  (i  Cor.  xv.  24,  28.) 

We  may  now  consider  the  pre-millennial  view,  usually 
called  millennarianism.  The  main  features  are :  That 
Christ  shall  come  in  person  and  establish  his  kingdom  on 
the  earth ;  that  the  martyrs  shall  be  raised  from  the  dead 
to  rule  with  him ;  That  he  and  they  will  overthrow  all 
earthly  powers  and  his  universal  kingdom  shall  occupy 
the  whole  earth  for  a  thousand  years ;  that  he  and  they 
shall  rule  over  the  righteous  and  the  wicked ;  and  that 
peace  and  happiness  shall  prevail ;  and  that  at  the  end 
the  rest  of  the  dead  shall  rise ;  and  then  the  general 
judgment. 

There  are,  however,  so  many  variant  views,  advocated 
with  so  many  shades  of  difference,  that  we  cannot  define 
this  doctrine  much  beyond  this  single  proposition,  "That 
Christ  shall  come  again  in  person  to  live  and  reign  with 
his  saints  a  thousand  years."  Very  many  writers  have 
elaborated  their  views  variously,  according  to  their  skill 
in  expounding  history,  prophecy,  parables,  and  all  refer- 
ences to  the  Parousia,  literally  and  allegorically,  so  as  to 
fit  and  elucidate  this  proposition  with  which  they  start 
their  investigations.  Their  voluminous  discussions  sound 
like  special  pleadings  and  foregone  conclusions. 

They  start  with  a  dogmatic  interpretation  of  the  twen- 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  105 

tieth  chapter  of  Revelation,  which  is  confessedly  one  of 
the  most  difficult  portions  of  a  book  which  has  such  an 
admixture  of  fact,  figure  and  symbol  that  interpreters 
have  been  at  their  wits  end,  and  doubtless  will  be  till  it 
shall  all  be  fulfilled.  Starting  with  it,  they  re-inforce 
their  interpretation  in  every  possible  way  from  other 
Scriptures. 

The  Jews  held  to  a  millennium — that  the  Messiah 
would  set  up  universal  empire  at  Jerusalem  for  a 
thousand  years.  When  Christ  repudiated  this  mission, 
they  crucified  him.  This  was  to  be  their  golden  age. 
Judaizing  teachers  introduced  this  doctrine  into  the  early 
church,  and  Justin  Martyr  was  its  ablest  expounder  then, 
and  little  improvement  has  been  made  upon  him  since. 
After  the  able  refutation  of  this  doctrine  by  the  leading 
fathers  early  in  the  fourth  century,  we  hear  little  of  it  till 
the  Reformation.  Since  that  time  it  has  had  some  able  ex- 
pounders. It  fell  into  disrepute  because  of  the  extrava- 
gances of  the  Anabaptists,  and  other  fanatical  mystics, 
and  was  condemned  alike  by  Protestants  and  Catholics. 

It  was  revived  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, and  ably  advocated  by  Bengel,  the  great  preacher 
and  commentator,  and  was  advocated  by  the  Irvingites  in 
England,  and  more  recently  by  the  Millerites  in  this  coun- 
try. It  has  reached  its  most  fanatical  culmination  in  the 
Mormon  Zion  and  in  Dowieism. 

All  recent  mystics  make  this  the  leading  feature  of 
their  eschatology,  and  they  profess  to  Hold  the  imminent 
expectation  of  his  personal  coming  in  glory  at  any  mo- 
ment as  the  sum  of  their  hopes  and  expectations,  and  as 
their  highest  and  best  motive  to  holy  living.  They  even 
claim  the  certain  witness  of  the  Spirit  to  the  truth  of 
their  teaching.  They  charge  a  low  and  groveling  life  to 
those  who  do  not  agree  with  them. 


io6  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

The  Jewish  commonwealth  was  a  theocracy,  and  the 
Lord,  the  Second  Person  of  the  Trinity,  was  the  civil 
head  and  king.  But  he  was  not  present  in  a  visible  body, 
but  he  ruled  by  viceroys,  who  held  communication  with 
their  King  by  prophet  and  oracle  only.  Besides  the  civil 
commonwealth,  he  was  the  head  of  the  true  spiritual 
kingdom  just  as  he  is  to-day;  and  he  was  also  the  head 
of  their  ecclesiastical  system,  which  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  civil  commonwealth,  though  they  were 
coterminous. 

Now,  millennarianism  says  that  the  Lord  Jesus — the 
second  person  in  the  flesh — is  to  come  as  the  glorified 
Son  of  Man,  in  visible  form  and  actual  bodily  presence, 
and  set  up  a  kingdom,  a  civil  commonwealth,  and  preside 
over  it  as  a  king  for  a  thousand  years,  and  that  at  the 
end  of  that  period,  the  last  earthly  battles  shall  be  fought ; 
Gog  and  Magog  encompassing  the  camp  of  the  saints  and 
their  city,  and  waging  fiercest  warfare  till  overthrown  by 
fire  from  heaven.  They  claim  that  the  kingdom  heralded 
by  Christ  and  promised  by  him,  is  this  millennial  civic 
commonwealth,  and  that  it  is  this  we  pray  for  when  we 
say  "Thy  kingdom  come." 

But,  in  rebuke  of  all  this,  Christ  told  his  disciples,  who 
evidently  held  the  Jewish  doctrine  of  a  civic  Messianic 
millennium  over  which  he  would  preside,  that  his  king- 
dom was  a  spiritual  kingdom,  already  set  up  in  the  hearts 
of  men.  And  when  Pilate  asked  him :  "Art  thou  a  king?" 
he  answered :  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,  else 
would  my  servants  fight."  He  asserted  his  kingdom  as 
the  very  object  of  his  birth;  and  he  was  the  real  and  only 
king  over  his  real  and  spiritual  kingdom  at  that  time,  as 
he  has  been  ever  since.  It  would  seem  that  his  repudia- 
tion of  all  claims  to  the  civil  rule  of  a  civil  commonwealth 
on  earth  ought  to  be  a  sufficient  answer  to  the  pre-mil- 
lennarian. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  107 

We  have  examined  all  the  leading  passages  in  the  Gos- 
pels and  Epistles,  and  in  the  Old  Testament  also,  which 
refer  to  the  Parousia  or  coming,  and  we  have  found  that 
they  may  be  classified  under  eight  heads,  not  one  of  which 
refers  in  any  way  to  his  second  coming  in  person. 

We  have  shown  also  that  he  shall  come  in  person  to 
raise  the  dead  and  conduct  the  judgment  of  the  great  day. 
Besides  this,  the  twentieth  chapter  of  Revelation — itself 
an  undeciphered  hieroglyph — has  not  a  single  word  in  it 
to  indicate  that  he  will  establish  a  civil  commonwealth  of 
the  saints,  and  preside  over  it  in  a  visible  personal  pres- 
ence. And  yet,  there  is  a  proper  sense  in  which  we  may 
say  with  John :  "Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus,  come 
quickly."     "The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say  come." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Four  Last  Days  of  Christ's  Public  Ministry. 

WE  usually  speak  of  the  closing  week  of  his  work 
as  The  Last  Week,  beginning  with  the  first  day 
of  the  week  preceding  the  Passover,  and  ending  with 
the  first  day  of  the  next  week,  on  which  he  rose  from 
the  dead  and  appeared  to  many. 

He  closed  his  Perean  ministry,  crossed  the  river,  passed 
through  Jeficho,  stopping  a  little  season,  and  then  moved 
on  with  his  disciples  and  others  on  their  way  to  the  Pass- 
over, teaching  as  they  went,  and  then  "he  went  on  before, 
ascending  up  to  Jerusalem."  (Luke  xix.  28.)  John 
(xii.  i)  says:  "Then  six  days  before  the  Passover  Jesus 
came  to  Bethany,  where  Lazarus  was,"  etc.  There  had 
been  much  controversy  as  to  when  he  arrived  there  and 
how  to  count  this  six  days.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
he  and  his  disciples,  much  less  the  crowd,  reached  there 
on  the  seventh  day  of  the  week,  the  Sabbath.  It  was 
contrary  to  Jewish  usage  to  travel  any  distance  on  the 
Sabbath.  Some  claim  that  we  must  count  six  intervening 
days  between  the  day  of  his  arrival  and  the  Passover, 
which  all  concede  to  have  been  on  Friday.  This  would 
put  him  at  Bethany  on  the  Friday  before  the  sixth  day  of 
the  week.  Others  claim  that  he  spent  the  Sabbath  at 
Jericho,  or  on  the  way,  and  reached  Bethany  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week.  The  Jews,  in  counting  time,  usually 
counted  the  day  at  each  end  of  the  period.  According  to 
them,  Pentecost  was  fifty  days  after;  we  say  forty-nine; 
with  them  "eight  days  after"  was  a  week;  we  say  seven 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  109 

days  after.     We  claim,  therefore,  that  the  count  stands 
thus : 

Sun.  Men.  Tues.  Wed.  Thurs.  Fri. 
123456 

Accordingly  he  reached  Bethany  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  Sunday.  This  was  the  view  taken  by  Robinson 
in  his  "Harmony."  This  puts  the  supper  at  Simon's  house 
on  Sunday  evening;  the  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem 
on  Monday ;  and  so  on. 

The  papal  tradition  of  Palm  Sunday  is  urged  against 
this  view  as  proving  that  the  triumphal  entry  took  place 
on  Sunday.  The  reply  is  easy ;  the  tradition  is  not  proved 
as  is  the  case  with  so  many  traditions.  It  is  a  curious  fact 
that  some  who  accept  this  tradition  as  certain,  reject  the 
far  more  certain  tradition  that  Christ  was  crucified  on 
Friday.  They  say  he  was  slain,  the  Passover  lamb,  on 
Thursday,  the  fourteenth,  and  that  this  was  necessary  to 
fulfill  the  type ;  and  they  further  claim  that  the  triumphal 
entry  into  Jerusalem  was  his  public  setting  apart  as  Pass- 
over lamb,  which  was  under  the  law  on  the  tenth,  and  it 
must  of  necessity  have  been  on  Sunday. 

We  shall  consider  these  views  later.  They  are  cited 
here  to  show  that  their  advocates  must  of  necessity  so 
count  the  time  as  to  put  Christ  at  Bethany  on  Friday  be- 
fore. John  tells  us  that  many  Jews  went  up  before  the 
feast  to  purify  themselves,  and  that  they  were  on  the  alert, 
inquiring  for  Jesus,  whether  he  would  come  to  the  feast, 
and  when  they  heard  that  he  was  at  Bethany,  much  people 
came  out  to  see  him  and  also  to  see  Lazarus,  who  had  been 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  many  went  away  believing. 
But  the  chief  priests  took  counsel  to  kill  Lazarus  to  get 
rid  of  his  witness. 

If  we  follow  John's  account,  the  order  of  events  is  easy 
and  natural.     First,  the  arrival  at  Bethany  on  Sunday; 


no  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

Second,  The  supper  at  Simon's  house  that  evening,  where 
Lazarus  was  a  guest,  and  Martha  served,  and  Mary  an- 
ointed Jesus'  feet  with  spikenard  and  wiped  them  with 
the  hairs  of  her  head;  Third,  on  the  "next  day"  (after 
this  supper),  he  rode  the  ass's  colt  into  the  city.  (John  xi. 
55-57;  xii-  I-I5-)  The  other  evangeHsts  give  no  hint  of 
the  chronological  order. 

Monday.  This  ''next  day"  great  multitudes  went  out 
to  meet  him  when  they  heard  he  was  coming  to  Jeru- 
salem, to  welcome  his  coming  and  to  join  a  great  escort. 
Up  to  this  time  Christ  had  discouraged  all  popular  dem- 
onstrations, perhaps,  because  they  savored  of  civil  com- 
motions and  did  not  sufficiently  recognize  the  spiritual 
nature  of  his  kingdom.  But  now  he  and  his  immediate 
disciples  seem  to  have  planned  the  procession,  and  ordered 
its  details.  They  deliberately  secured  the  ass's  colt  on 
which  he  rode  in  the  center  of  the  procession.  A  multi- 
tude went  before,  and  a  multitude  brought  up  the  rear. 
He  rode  as  a  king,  making  a  royal  progress.  Many  pro- 
vided themselves  with  palm  branches  and  went  forth  to 
meet  him ;  a  multitude  spread  their  garments  in  the  way ; 
and  a  multitude  cut  down  branches  of  trees  and  strewed 
them  in  the  way. 

The  whole  multitude  of  the  disciples  rejoiced  and 
praised  God  for  all  the  mighty  works  they  had  seen. 
Those  in  front  and  those  behind  seem  to  have  answered 
back  and  forth :  "Hosanna ;  Hosanna  in  the  highest ;  Ho- 
sanna  to  the  Son  of  David ;  Blessed  be  the  king  that 
Cometh" — all  in  ceaseless  refrain. 

Some  Pharisees  asked  him  to  rebuke  the  enthusiasm  of 
his  disciples ;  he  replied,  ''If  these  should  hold  their  peace, 
the  stones  would  immediately  cry  out."  Thus  heartily  did 
he  approve  and  accept  their  homage  and  praise.  The 
Pharisees  said  among  themselves :  "Perceive  ye  how  ye 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  hi 

prevail  nothing?  Behold  the  world  is  gone  after  him." 
This  was  no  howling  mob  crying  Hosanna  to-day  and 
"crucify  him"  to-morrow.  It  was  a  great  host  of  disciples 
gathered  to  the  Passover  from  every  town  and  city  during 
his  public  ministry.  His  enemies  were  overawed  and 
discomfited,  and  henceforth  they  dare  nothing  against 
him  except  by  treachery,  darkness,  and  cowardly,  lawless 
haste. 

This  great  procession  followed  the  road  directly  over 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  instead  of  winding  about  its  foot,  as 
they  might  have  done.  When  they  came  to  the  crest  of 
the  mountain,  and  the  beauty  of  the  Holy  City,  and  the 
golden  splendors  of  the  temple  burst  upon  their  vision, 
they  evidently  stopped  in  silent  and  devout  admiration, 
as  did  every  pious  Jew  who  passed  that  way.  And  Jesus 
sat  weeping  on  his  royal  seat  as  he  looked  upon  the  city, 
and  said,  'Tf  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this 
thy  day,  the  things  that  belong  to  thy  peace!  But  now 
they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes."  Once  more,  in  prophetic 
vision,  he  outlined  her  doom. 

When  they  entered  the  city,  the  whole  city  was  moved, 
saying.  Who  is  this?  And  the  multitude  said:  This  is 
Jesus,  the  prophet,  of  Nazareth  of  Galilee.  The  proces- 
sion ended  at  the  tempk  area,  and  he  entered  into  the 
temple,  and  v^^hen  he  had  looked  round  upon  all  things, 
and  now  eventide  was  come,  he  went  out  unto  Bethany 
with  the  twelve.    So  ends  the  second  day  of  the  week. 

Tuesday.  They  returned  to  the  city,  and  on  the  way 
Christ  cursed  the  barren  fig  tree,  which,  the  next  day, 
was  dried  up  to  the  very  roots.  We  may  consider  this 
incident  and  miracle  to  better  advantage  in  the  trans- 
actions of  that  day. 

They  went  direct  to  the  temple,  and  he  repeated  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple,  driving  out  the  dishonest  and 


112  Studies  IN  THE  Life  OF  Christ. 

lawless  traders  and  money  changers.  Compare  John  ii. 
13-17;  Mark  xi.  12-19.  This  time  he  says  "My  house." 
On  the  former  occasion  he  said  "My  Father's  house." 
The  tabernacle  was  the  royal  pavilion.  The  temple  was 
the  palace  of  the  great  King.  His  kingship  had  been 
recognized  and  asserted  the  day  before,  and  none  dared 
challenge  it.  He  was,  by  covenant,  their  theocratic  king, 
their  civil  and  religious  head,  and  now  he  publicly  claims 
the  temple  as  his  own  house,  and  no  one  challenges  his 
claim.  And  he  denounces  those  in  possession  of  it  as  a 
"den  of  thieves."  Their  dishonest  practices  and  their 
unlawful  occupation  of  the  temple  were  only  too  well 
known  to  be  disputed.    Compare  Mai.  iii.  i. 

He  spent  the  day  in  teaching  and  healing,  and  the  very 
children  caught  up  in  the  temple  the  refrain  of  the  great 
royal  procession  of  the  day  before,  "Hosanna  to  the  Son 
of  David !"  When  the  chief  priests  expressed  their  dis- 
pleasure, though  they  dared  not  interfere,  he  quoted  from 
the  eighth  Psalm — a  Messianic  psalm — and  silenced  their 
cavils.  The  entire  verse  reads :  "Out  of  the  mouths  of 
babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou  ordained  strength,  because 
of  thine  enemies,  that  thou  mightest  still  the  enemy  and 
the  avenger."  Then  they  sought  to  destroy  him,  but 
availed  nothing,  for  "they  feared  him"  and  they  were 
afraid  of  the  people.  And  he  went  out  to  Bethany 
again  at  night. 

Wednesday.  This  is  the  last  day  of  his  pviblic  minis- 
try. We  have  no  record  of  any  other  day  so  full  of 
labors.  They  evidently  started  early  to  the  city.  The  dis- 
ciples, as  they  passed,  marvelled  that  the  fig  tree  was  so 
soon  withered  away. 

Commentators  differ  greatly  as  to  the  significance  of 
this  miracle,  while  all  concede  serious  difficulties.  Was 
it  merely  a  spectacular  miracle  as  some  suppose  ?  Hardly ; 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Ghrist.  113 

for  we  are  told  that  he  was  hungry,  and  he  saw  a  fig 
tree  and  sought  fruit  thereon.  Why  did  he  expect  to 
find  fruit  on  it  if  the  "time  of  figs  was  not  yet?"  We 
may  not  be  able  to  answer,  but  we  may  be  sure  that 
Christ  was  at  home  among  fig  trees,  and  knew  their  habits 
of  fruit  bearing ;  and  it  impugns  his  intelligence  to  sup- 
pose that  he  had  no  right  to  expect  to  find  fruit  among 
the  leaves  so  early  in  the  season,  either  fruit  dried  on  the 
tree  from  the  last  season,  or  more  probably,  a  few  figs  of 
an  early  crop  that  came  out  on  the  new  wood  of  the  last 
year  and  attained  some  size  before  the  leaves  were  full 
grown.  We  may  only  say  that  he  was  looking  for  figs 
in  good  faith  because  he  was  hungry. 

Another  difficult  question :  Why  should  he  be  hungry 
so  early  in  the  day  and  so  soon  after  the  morning  meal? 
Perhaps  they  left  Bethany  before  the  hour  for  the  morn- 
ing meal,  for  we  are  told  that  "All  the  people  came  early 
in  the  morning  to  the  temple,  for  to  hear  him."  (Luke 
xxi.  38.)  Or  perhaps  their  means  to  supply  a  morning 
meal  was  scant.  We  may  not  suppose  that  thirteen  men 
taxed  the  bounty  of  Lazarus  and  his  sisters  for  a  week, 
when  it  was  the  custom  for  those  who  attended  the  feasts 
to  bear  their  own  expenses,  and  not  be  burdensome  to  the 
people  in  and  near  the  city.  The  law  enjoined  a  special 
tithe  for  this  purpose.  (Duet.  xiv.  23-26.)  There  are 
indications  that  he  and  his  disciples  went  hungry  on  other 
occasions  than  this. 

There  are  other  questions.  Was  this  a  case  of  pet- 
ulance on  account  of  the  disappointment?  Impossible. 
No  one  but  a  blatant  infidel  can  entertain  such  a 
suggestion. 

Was  the  fig  tree  blasted  on  account  of  its  barrenness? 
There  is  no  evidence,  or  even  hint,  that  it  was  a  barren 
tree.     Then,  what  was  the  motive  for  blasting  it?     It  is 


1 14  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ, 

not  given.  Then  what  is  the  spiritual  lesson  taught  by 
this  miracle?  The  obvious  reply  is  that  we  may  not  alle- 
gorize and  spiritualize  the  miracles.  There  is  a  pet  theory 
that  miracles  are  parables  in  action.  We  show  elsewhere 
that  this  theory  applies  false  principles  of  interpretation, 
both  to  parables  and  miracles. 

The  disciples  marvelled  that  the  fig  tree  was  dried  up 
so  soon,  and  Christ  took  occasion  to  give  a  last  lesson  on 
the  ''Faith  of  miracles."  And  then  he  passed  from  that 
by  an  easy  transition  to  a  last  lesson  in  prayer.  The 
blasting  of  the  fig  tree  gave  the  opportunity  for  these 
lessons  in  faith  and  prayer,  and  this  was  doubtless,  part 
of  the  motive.  Beyond  this,  we  cannot  go.  We  have 
dwelt  upon  its  recognized  difficulty.  Common  modesty, 
however,  would  bid  us  refrain  from  adding  another  les- 
son to  the  one  he  gave. 

We  propose  only  to  sketch  the  work  of  this  day,  and 
not  to  discuss  it.  We  may  easily  trace  its  trend  and 
scope.  All  his  enemies  seem  to  have  measured  their 
strength  with  his  in  every  form  of  cavil,  and  he  put 
them  all  to  rout  in  a  fair  field,  and  then  he  turned  his 
batteries  upon  them  as  they  fled  in  consternation  before 
him.  He  used  parables  all  day  long  with  a  climax  of  ver- 
satility and  power.  His  enemies  had  rallied  from  the 
consternation  of  the  last  three  days.  We  may  note  the 
principal  incidents  of  the  day  by  number: 

I.  The  chief  priests  and  elders  came  and  interrupted 
his  teachings,  and  said :  "By  what  authority  doest  thou 
these  things?  And  who  gave  thee  this  authority?"  He 
retorted  with  the  question  about  the  baptism  of  John, 
"Whence  was  it?  from  heaven,  or  of  men?"  When  they 
evaded  the  issue,  he  refused  to  answer  at  their  hypocriti- 
cal tribunal.  Then  he  spake  three  parables  to  them ;  The 
two  sons;  The  wicked  husbandmen;  and  The  marriage 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  115 

of  the  king's  son ;  and  then  quoted  and  applied  the  pro- 
phecy of  the  Rejected  Stone.  They  perceived  that  he 
spake  of  them  and  left  him  and  went  their  way.  They 
would  have  laid  hold  on  him,  but  they  feared  the  people. 
(Matt.  xxi.  and  xxii. ;  Mark  xii. ;  and  Luke  xx.) 

2.  Then  the  Pharisees  and  the  Herodians,  with  the  aid 
of  spies,  came  with  the  question  about  tribute  to  Caesar: 
"Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar  or  not?"  How 
adroitly  he  turned  the  tables  on  them  with  the  image  and 
superscription  on  a  penny.  The  right  to  coin  money  has 
always  been  jealously  guarded  as  one  of  the  regalia  of 
government.    They  held  their  peace. 

3.  Then  came  the  Sadducees,  with  their  puzzle  of  the 
woman  that  had  seven  brothers  as  husbands :  "Whose 
wife  shall  she  be  in  the  resurrection?"  His  reply  out  of 
the  Scriptures  silenced  them  also,  and  after  that  they 
durst  not  ask  him  any  question  at  all. 

4.  Then  came  a  scribe,  a  lawyer  with  far  more  honesty 
of  purpose,  but  still  tempting  him,  and  asked :  "Which  is 
the  great  commandment  of  the  law?"  Christ  gave  him 
the  summary  of  the  two  tables.  The  lawyer  answered  so 
discreetly  that  Jesus  said :  "Thou  are  not  far  from  the 
kingdom  of  God."  (Mark  xii.  28-34.)  "And  no  man 
after  that  durst  ask  him  any  questions." 

5.  Then  he  asked  them  a  question :  "What  think  ye  of 
Christ?  Whose  Son  is  he?"  They  said,  David's.  And 
he  said:  "How  then  doth  David  call  him  Lord?"  (Psalm 
ex.  I.)  They  could  not  answer.  Still  they  asked  no  more 
questions,  but  the  common  people  heard  him  gladly. 
(Matt.  xxii.  and  Mark  xii.) 

6.  Then  he  summed  up  all  his  former  indictments 
against  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  denounced  eight 
woes  against  them  for  their  hypocrisy  and  iniquity,  and 
proclaimed  their  speedy  doom.     His  heart  seemed  to  re- 


ii6  Studies  IN  THE  Life  OF  Christ. 

coil  from  the  picture,  and  he  cried :  "O  Jerusalem,  Jeru- 
salem, thou  that  killest  the  prophets  and  stonest  them 
that  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chick- 
ens under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not.  Behold,  your 
house  is  left  unto  you  desolate.  For  I  say  unto  you,  ye 
shall  not  see  me  henceforth  till  you  shall  say.  Blessed  is 
he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  Mat- 
thew xxiii.  1-39.) 

7.  Toward  evening  he  sat  over  against  the  treasury, 
perhaps  resting  after  the  labors  and  excitements  of  the 
day;  and  commended  the  poor  widow  that  cast  in  two 
mites  of  her  penury — all  that  she  had,  even  all  her  living. 
(Mark  xii.  and  Luke  xxi.) 

8.  Certain  Greeks  desired  to  see  him,  and  they  told 
Jesus,  But  he  answered  them  saying:  "The  hour  is  come 
that  the  Son  of  Man  should  be  glorified."  He  had  no 
time  to  gratify  an  idle  curiosity.  We  have  but  a  sum- 
mary of  his  last  formal  address  and  exhortation  to  his 
disciples,  as  found  in  John  xii.  20-36.  As  he  departed 
he  made  his  last  call,  his  last  public  proclamation  of  the 
Gospel.    (John  xii.  44-49.) 

9.  When  he  went  out  from  the  temple  with  his  disciples 
he  uttered  his  prophecies  concerning  the  destruction  of 
the  temple,  and  city,  and  the  Jewish  polity,  and  then  on 
to  his  second  coming  and  the  scenes  of  the  general  judg- 
ment. He  seems  to  have  continued  this  discussion  as  they 
returned  to  Bethany,  as  was  their  custom.  We  consider 
these  prophecies  more  fully  in  another  place. 

10.  After  he  had  finished  all  these  sayings,  he  told 
them  that  he  should  be  betrayed  after  two  days,  the  day 
after  to-morrow  at  the  Passover,  and  be  crucified. 
"Then,"  evidently  on  Wednesday,  his  enemies  held  a 
council  at  the  palace  of  the  high  priest  to  consult  how 


Studies  IN  THE  Life  OF  Christ.  117 

they  might  take  Jesus  and  kill  liim.  "Then"  Judas  went 
to  them  and  covenanted  to  betray  him  for  thirty  pieces  of 
silver ;  and  from  that  time  he  sought  opportunity  to 
betray  him  in  the  absence  of  the  multitude. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Passover,  The  Lord's  Supper,  The  Betrayal. 

THURSDAY:  Christ  seems  to  have  spent  the  fifth 
day  of  the  week  in  much-needed  rest  at  Bethany. 
The  fifteenth  of  Nisan  fell  on  Friday,  the  sixth  day  of  the 
week.  The  Jews  counted  their  days  from  sunset  to  sun- 
set. The  Passover  lamb  was  killed  on  the  fourteenth, 
at  three  o'clock,  the  time  of  the  evening  sacrifice,  and 
was  eaten  after  night-fall,  and  this  was  on  the  fifteenth. 
No  other  time  was  lawful,  except  on  certain  conditions, 
which  are  not  pertinent  here.  Thursday,  the  fourteenth, 
was  called  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread,  because  on 
that  day  they  put  away  all  leaven  out  of  their  houses,  pre- 
paratory to  the  Passover  week.  (Exodus  xii.  6,  i8.)  Mat- 
thew, Mark  and  Luke  agree  in  this  nomenclature.  Mark 
and  Luke  say  that  the  Passover  was  to  be  killed  that  day, 
and  Matthew's  account  agrees.  (Mark  xiv.  12;  Luke  xxii. 
7;  Matthew  xxvi.  17.) 

It  has  been  generally  held  that  Christ  and  his  disciples 
ate  the  Paschal  lamb  at  the  usual  time,  and  that  he  was 
betrayed  late  that  night,  and  tried  and  crucified  Friday 
morning.  Some  object  and  put  the  crucifixion  on  Thurs- 
day, because  of  the  assumed  necessity  of  his  death  at  the 
exact  hour  of  killing  the  Paschal  lamb,  in  order  to  fulfill 
the  type.  Now,  there  is  no  indication  in  the  Scriptures 
that  this  was  necessary.  It  is  not  legitimate  to  press  the 
accidental  details  or  drapery  of  types  beyond  Scriptural 
indications,  and  beyond  their  obvious  substance  and  nec- 
essary identities.  The  only  limits  to  sucli  allegorizing 
would  be  the  subjective  conceits  of  the  interpreter. 


Studies  IN  THE  Life  OF  Christ.  119 

Some  claim  that  Christ  and  the  apostles  ate  the  Pass- 
over proper  on  the  fourteenth  (the  evening  of  the  thir- 
teenth of  our  count,  i.  e.,  Wednesday  evening),  twenty- 
four  hours  earlier  than  the  regular  time.  This  would 
have  been  unlawful,  and  impossible  to  him  who  fulfilled 
all  righteousness.  Others  say  that  they  did  not  eat  the 
Paschal  lamb  at  all,  but  only  a  preliminary  meal,  ante- 
dating the  Passover  proper  twenty-four  hours,  a  pre- 
liminary meal,  beginning  the  eight  days  feast  of  un- 
leavened bread.  Both  these  theories  are  designed  to  re- 
inforce the  theory  that  he  was  crucified,  dead,  and  buried 
on  Thursday.    Does  this  agree  with  the  record? 

Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke  give  the  same  account  of 
the  preparations   and  arrangements   of   Christ   and   the 
Apostles  for  eating  the  Passover.     Mark  describes  the 
day :  "The  first  day  of  unleavened  bread,  when  they  killed 
the  Passover."     Luke  says :  "When  the  Passover  must 
be  killed."    Matthew  uses  the  words,  "Prepare  the  Pass- 
over," "Keep  the  Passover."  All  three  say  "Eat  the  Pass- 
over."    He  sent  two  disciples,  Peter  and  John,  into  the 
city  to  prepare  and  ''Make  ready  the  Passover."     This 
service  would  seem  to  devolve  on  Judas  Iscariot.     Per- 
haps he  was  absent  intriguing  with  the  Jews ;  or  perhaps 
Christ  did  not  propose  that  he  should  know  in  advance 
Where  they  would  eat  the  Passover,  lest  they  should  be 
interrupted  by  betrayal.  They  followed  his  directions  and 
found  an  "upper  room  furnished  and  prepared."     It  is 
evident  that  Christ  had  already  spoken  for  the  place.     It 
is  generally  supposed  to  be  the  house  of  John  Mark.    All 
this  transpired  before  night-fall.     "They  made  ready  the 
Passover."  (Matt.  xxvi.   17-19;  Mark  xiv.  12-16;  Luke 
xxii.  7-13.) 

Those  who  reject  this  view,  argue  further  that  it  was 
necessary  that  Christ  die  on  Thursday,  in  order  to  lie  in 


I20  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

the  grave  three   full  days  and  three   full   nights.     We 
shall  consider  this  supposed  necessity  later  on. 

Now,  Matthew  says :  "When  even  was  come,  he  sat 
down  with  his  disciples."  Mark  says :  "And  in  the  even- 
ing he  Cometh  with  the  twelve."  What  evening?  Why, 
the  evening  of  the  fourteenth,  about  which  they  had  just 
been  writing.  Luke  says:  "When  the  hour  was  come, 
they  sat  down." 

This,  then,  was  Friday,  the  fifteenth,  which  began  at 
six  o'clock  p.  M.  We  come  now  to  the  Passover  meal. 
If  there  were  any  doubt  whether  this  was  a  real  Passover 
it  disappears  with  the  first  words  Christ  spake  after  sit- 
ting down  with  his  disciples.  "With  desire  have  I  desired 
to  eat  this  Passover  with  you  before  I  suffer,  for  I  say 
unto  you,  I  will  not  any  more  eat  thereof,  until  it  be 
fulfilled  in  the  kingdom  of  God."  (Luke  xxii.  15,  16.)  It 
was  fulfilled  when  "Christ,  our  Passover,  was  sacrificed 
for  us."  (i  Cor.  v.  7.) 

This  was,  evidently,  the  first  Passover  kept  by  him  and 
the  apostles  as  a  family,  or  as  the  Apostolic  College.  No 
former  Passover  attended  by  him  furnished  the  necessary 
conditions.  The  question  of  place  and  rank  at  the  table 
was  both  natural  and  proper,  to  be  settled,  however,  by 
the  Master  of  the  feast.  He  properly  rebuked  their  un- 
seemly strife  and  ambition.   (Luke  xxii.  24-30.) 

Christ  presided  and  distributed  the  food,  according  to 
Jewish  usage.  Peter  and  John  were  responsible  for  the 
the  service,  and  passed  the  food  to  him  for  distribution. 
They  all  reclined,  leaning  on  the  left  elbow,  John  on  his 
right,  and  Peter  exactly  opposite.  The  table  extended  a 
few  feet  beyond  Peter  and  John  on  the  right,  and  the 
various  dishes  of  food  and  drink  were  placed  on  this  ex- 
tension. The  other  ten  apostles  were  arranged  on  each 
side  of  the  table  to  his  left.     Judas  Iscariot  was  next  to 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ,  121 

Christ  on  his  left,  the  post  of  highest  honor,  because  of 
his  official  rank  as  treasurer.  John  on  the  right,  occupied 
the  highest  place  socially,  for  he  was  the  disciple  Jesus 
loved.  Christ,  Peter,  and  John  also  occupied  the  post  of 
service,  the  real  post  of  honor  as  he  expounded  it.  Wc 
do  not  know  how  the  others  ranked,  but  he  promised 
them  a  kingdom  and  thrones,  presumably  in  the  same 
order,  rank  and  position,  as  now  assigned  them,  Judas 
excepted. 

During  the  supper,  which  began  with  the  cup  distri- 
buted to  them  all,  and  before  eating  the  Passover,  Jesus 
emphasized  his  lesson  of  service  by  washing  their  feet. 
This  was  often  done  by  a  serving  host.  Peter  loyally 
objected,  but  soon  understood  that  he  was  also  the  serv- 
ing Saviour,  and  that  there  was  no  salvation  without  his 
cleansing  service.  This  was  the  important  lesson,  but 
he  told  them  he  meant  it  also  for  an  example  to  them  to 
render  service  to  each  other.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
he  intended  to  institute  the  rite  oi"  sacrament  of  foot- 
washing,  as  some  suppose  and  practice.  (John  xiii.  1-20.) 
There  are  other  obvious  lessons  taught  in  his  exposition 
of  what  he  had  done.  He  expressly  exempted  one  from 
the  statement  that  they  were  all  clean.  He  indicated  the 
betrayal  by  quoting  Psalm  xli.  9:  "He  that  eateth  bread 
with  me  hath  lifted  up  his  heel  against  me." 

While  they  were  eating,  he  made  the  more  definite 
statement :  "One  of  you  which  eateth  with  me  shall  betray 
me."  They  every  one  began  to  say,  "Lord,  is  it  I  ?"  The 
commotion  and  the  consternation,  and  the  questioning 
among  themselves  concealed  the  by  play  in  which  he 
indicated  the  traitor  to  John  by  the  sign  of  the  sop  given 
to  Judas,  for  Peter  had  beckoned  to  John  to  ask  him. 
Not  to  be  behind  the  others  in  manifestation  of  interest, 
Judas  said :  "Master,  is  it  I  ?"    With  the  answer  and  with 


122  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

the  sop  that  Christ  gave  him,  Satan  entered  into  him. 
Jesus  said :  "What  thou  doest,  do  quickly,"  and  he  went 
out  and  "it  was  night."  They  had,  perhaps,  assembled 
and  sat  down  after  sunset,  before  it  was  entirely  dark. 
Christ  then  said  some  things  concerning  his  departure 
and  glorification,  which  he  said  much  more  fully  later 
on.  In  the  meantime,  Judas  went  to  find  the  officers,  in- 
tending, no  doubt,  to  entrap  and  betray  him  in  that  upper 
room.     But  the  exact  hour  had  not  yet  come. 

Christ  then  proceeded  to  institute  and  expound  the  sac- 
rament of  the  Lord's  Supper,  to  be  observed  ever  after  by 
his  people,  as  we  learn  from  Paul  in  i  Cor.  xi.  23-25.  It 
was  and  is  a  monumental  custom.  Its  institution  and  ob- 
servance from  the  beginning  is  both  the  illustration  and 
the  proof  of  all  it  represents,  just  as  a  monument  of  stone, 
with  its  inscriptions,  bears  witness  to  the  truth  of  that 
which  it  commemorates.  In  this  sense,  the  Passover  is  a 
monumental  custom.  Without  attempting  here  any  full 
discussion  of  this  ordinance,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  it 
is  a  memorial,  a  witness,  a  seal  of  covenant  promises  on 
the  Divine  side,  and  a  seal  of  faithfulness  on  man's  side. 
Under  the  form  of  a  symbolic  feast,  the  Spirit  applies 
and  the  believer  receives  the  benefits  of  redemption  pur- 
chased by  Jesus  Christ. 

Some  hold  that  it  is  a  blood  covenant.  Christ  says: 
"This  is  my  blood  of  the  New  Covenant."  The  circum- 
cision blood  is  called  the  "blood  of  my  covenant"  in  the 
Old  Testament.  When  a  blood  covenant  was  made  and 
ratified  between  two  parties,  they  both  became  partakers 
of  each  other's  blood  by  infusion,  or  by  tasting,  actually 
or  symbolically,  and  the  two  parties  became  partakers  of 
the  same  life,  and  so  became  blood  brothers.  The  goel 
or  blood  brother  is  called  the  avenger  of  blood,  the  re- 
deemer.    So  Christ  is  our  blood  brother  and  redeemer. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  123 

when  we  partake  of  his  blood ;  and  we  are  aU  partakers  of 
a  common  Hfe,  his  blood  and  his  Hfe,  This  is  a  fascinat- 
ing theory  and  probably  true.  At  least  it  comports  with 
the  facts  and  illustrates  them. 

The  prophecy  of  Peter's  denial  of  him,  and  the  perse- 
cutions and  the  dispersion  have  been  considered  under 
the  head  of  Christ's  Prophecies.  (Matthew,  Mark,  Luke, 
and  John.)  His  words  of  comfort,  in  view  of  his  de- 
parture, his  promise  to  return,  and  the  promise  of  the 
Comforter,  have  been  considered  elsewhere.  (John  xiv.) 
His  last  prayer  with  his  disciples  and  his  agony  in  the 
garden  have  been  considered  under  the  discussion  of 
"Christ's  Prayers." 

Judas,  traitor  and  coward  as  well,  lost  several  hours 
in  getting  a  band  of  soldiers  and  officers  from  the  chief 
priests  and  Pharisees,  who  had  charge  of  the  local  police, 
and  in  drumming  up  a  multitude  with  swords  and 
staves — a  tumultuous  rout.  They  overtook  Christ  and 
his  disciples  as  they  were  about  leaving  the  garden  of 
Gethsemane. 

Christ  challenged  them,  "Whom  seek  ye  ?"  They  said, 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth ;"  and  he  said,  "I  am  he."  They  were 
so  overawed  by  the  majesty  of  his  presence  that  they  went 
backward  and  fell  on  their  faces.  All  former  attempts 
to  arrest  him  had  failed  for  the  same  reason,  and  this 
would  have  failed  also,  but  for  his  voluntary  surrender. 
He  evidently  sought  to  dismiss  his  disciples  in  safety, 
for  he  said:  "If  ye  seek  me,  let  these  go  their  way." 
Either  then  or  before,  Judas  kissed  him,  and  Christ  re- 
proached him  for  his  perfidy.  It  is  hardly  fair  to  charge 
the  disciples  with  wholesale  cowardice,  for,  instead  of 
leaving  as  he  suggested  and  indicated,  they  prepared  to 
fight  their  way  out  and  to  save  their  Master,  though  they 
had  but  two  swords  against  such  odds.     Peter  had  one 


124  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

of  these  swords,  and  he  inflicted  a  wound,  which  Christ 
at  once  healed,  bidding  him  put  up  his  sword. 

When  they  saw  him  submit  to  be  bound,  and  when  he 
rebuked  their  intemperate  zeal,  and  defended  his  present 
course  out  of  the  Scriptures,  and  then  rebuked  the  mul- 
titude of  his  captors — then  the  panic  came  and  they  all 
forsook  him  and  fled  as  he  wished  them  to  do  at  first.  The 
soldiers  evidently  sought  to  arrest  them  also,  probably  on 
account  of  Peter's  rashness.  Mark  tells  of  a  young  man 
who  fled,  leaving  a  linen  garment  in  the  hands  of  the 
soldiers.  It  is  supposed  that  it  was  Mark  himself.  Why 
he  should  have  followed  is  a  mystery,  unless  Judas  and 
the  multitude  called  at  his  house  to  find  Christ,  and  then 
he  followed  to  see  the  result ;  and  he  was  scantily  clad, 
because  he  was  just  out  of  bed. 

They  led  Jesus  away  to  trial.  It  was  now  after  mid- 
night. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Trial. 

'T'TT'E  NOTE  several  things  personal  and  official  con- 
VV       cerning  the  judges  who  were  to  arraign  Jesus 
and  compass  his  death : 

1.  The  Pharisees  and  Herodians  had  conferred  to- 
gether to  destroy  him,  because  he  confuted  them  in  the 
controversies  about  the  Sabbath. 

2.  When  Lazarus  was  raised  from  the  dead,  they 
gathered  a  council  and  determined  on  the  death  of  Christ. 
The  prophecy  and  the  advice  of  Caiaphas  confirmed  them 
in  their  purpose. 

3.  They  took  counsel  to  kill  Lazarus  also  for  no  crime 
except  that  Jesus  had  raised  him  from  the  dead. 

4.  Before  the  last  Passover  they  had  laid  their  plans 
to  arrest  him,  but  were  overawed  by  the  great  popular 
demonstrations  in  his  favor. 

5.  They  bribed  one  of  his  disciples  to  betray  him  by 
night,  for  fear  of  the  crowds  by  day. 

6.  They  suborned  false  witnesses  to  testify  against  him, 
and  they  found  many  ready  perjurers,  to  whom  they 
doubtless  paid  their  price. 

7.  They  sought  to  kill  him  according  to  the  forms  of 
law,  judicial  murder,  though  they  had  sometimes  stirred 
up  a  mob  against  him  to  kill  him.  No  wonder  Christ  said, 
"Ye  are  of  your  father,  the  devil." 

8.  We  learn  from  Josephus  that  the  high-priesthood 
had  become  a  venal  office ;  that  the  appointment  was  made 
yearly  for  money  or  for  political  purposes ;  and  that  the 


126  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

office  might  be  vacated  at  the  will  of  the  Romans.  Annas 
was  made  high  priest  A.  D.,  7  or  8,  and  the  office  re- 
mained in  his  family  for  thirty  years  or  more,  with  brief 
exceptions ;  such  was  the  political  influence  of  himself  and 
family.  Caiaphas  was  his  son-in-law,  and  filled  the  office 
at  this  time  for  nine  or  ten  years. 

9.  Josephus  also  tells  us  that  the  council  or  Sanhedrim 
of  seventy  members  was  a  court  of  large  jurisdiction,  both 
in  the  city  and  throughout  the  province.  We  learn  from 
the  Book  of  Acts  that  their  jurisdiction  extended  as  far 
as  Damascus.  The  power  of  life  and  death  had  been 
taken  away  from  them  for  good  and  sufficient  reasons, 
possibly  as  early  as  A.  D.  12,  when  the  scepter  departed 
from  Judah  and  a  law-giver  from  between  his  feet,  as 
Jacob  foretold.  (Genesis  xlix.  10.)  If  it  was  not  done 
so  early,  it  certainly  was  done  four  years  before  the  cru- 
cifixion. Capital  ofifences  could  only  be  tried  before  a 
Roman  tribunal. 

10.  The  Talmudists  tell  us  that  there  was  a  smaller 
council  or  Sanhedrim,  of  twenty-three  members,  who  had 
a  local  jurisdiction,  subject  to  the  review  of  the  greater 
council.  Josephus  tells  us  that  other  towns  and  cities  had 
each  a  local  council  of  seven,  subject  to  the  great  San- 
hedrim. 

11.  The  great  Sanhedrim  usually  met  in  a  room  in  the 
temple  pile,  and  the  smaller  usually  met  in  another  room 
in  the  temple  area.  Pilate's  judgment  hall  was  in  the 
tower  of  Antonia,  which  overlooked  the  temple.  The 
high  priest  presided  over  both  these  councils  by  virtue 
of  his  office,  which  was  become  political  as  well  as  re- 
ligious and  ecclesiastical.  To  him  and  them  were  en- 
trusted local  self-government  and  general  police  powers, 
and  required  of  them  as  well.  Indeed,  this  was  the  usage 
in  all  Roman  provinces. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  127 

12.  It  seems  evident,  also,  that  Annas,  the  ex-high 
priest,  Hved  with  Caiaphas,  his  son-in-law,  in  the  high 
priest's  palace,  hard  by  the  temple  area;  and  it  is  evident 
also  that  he  held  high  official  position.  Some  agree  that 
I  the  "palace"  or  "hall"  or  "house"  of  the  high  priest  was 
not  their  private  dwelling,  but  the  "hall"  of  judgment, 
where  the  council  usually  met.  This  can  hardly  be  true, 
because  servants  of  the  high  priest,  both  men-servants 
and  maidens,  seem  to  have  occupied  the  "hall"  around  a 
fire  built  for  their  comfort,  for  it  was  cold.  John  got  in, 
because  he  was  an  acquaintance  of  the  high  priest  and 
had  a  welcome  there.  He  brought  in  Peter  to  warm 
himself.  This  "hall"  must  have  been  the  court  of  the 
palace  into  which  the  rooms  opened  on  three  sides,  after 
the  fashion  of  the  day. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  follow  the  course  of  events 
after  the  betrayal  and  arrest  of  Jesus.  Owing  to  diffi- 
culties in  the  harmony,  there  is  room  for  a  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  the  exact  order  and  nature  of  some  of  the 
rapid  series  of  events  which  transpired  in  six  hours  be- 
tween the  arrest  and  crucifixion.  We  follow  Robinson  in 
the  main : 

Christ  was  carried  before  five  different  tribunals. 
When  Judas  and  his  band  of  temple  guards  set  out  to 
arrest  him,  they  probably  went  down  the  stairs  from  the 
temple  area  to  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  and  across  the 
brook  Kedron,  to  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  unless  they 
went  by  the  upper  room,  where  they  had  eaten  the  Pass- 
over, which  is  more  probable.  They,  no  doubt,  returned 
by  the  temple  stairs,  instead  of  by  the  circuitous  route 
through  the  city.  In  fact,  this  was  the  usual  route  for 
temple  traffic  and  for  military  expeditions. 

I.  They  carried  him  first  to  Annas,  the  ex-high  priest, 
called,   sometimes,   the   high   priest.     He  was   evidently 


128  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

awake,  and  all  his  household,  including  Caiaphas  and  also 
the  scribes  and  elders,  all  on  the  elert  for  the  great  event. 
Annas  probably  sat  as  a  committing  magistrate.  We  are 
not  told  exactly  what  he  did  except  that  he  sent  him  to 
Caiaphas.    It  would  seem  to  have  been  an  official  act. 

2.  They  carried  him  to  Caiaphas,  and  the  scribes  and 
elders  assembled.  This  was  before  day,  no  doubt,  and 
after  three  o'clock,  as  the  two  cock  crowings  would  indi- 
cate. There  is  no  certain  way  to  decide  whether  this  was 
an  informal  gathering  for  conference,  waiting  for  the 
assembling  of  the  great  Sanhedrim,  who  had  to  be  sum- 
moned from  all  parts  of  the  city,  or  whether  it  was  a 
meeting  of  the  council  of  twenty-three  for  a  preliminary 
trial.  We  seem  to  be  shut  into  the  latter  conclusion  for 
several  reasons :  He  was  detained  there  for  a  consid- 
erable length  of  time;  he  stood  bound  before  them  as  a 
criminal;  the  high  priest  questioned  him  of  his  disciples 
and  his  doctrine,  hoping  to  make  him  incriminate  himself 
and  his  disciples,  after  the  usual  mode.  When  he  replied 
in  a  dignified  way  and  referred  him  to  those  that  heard 
him  for  information,  one  of  the  officers  smote  him  with 
the  palm  of  his  hand — a  dastardy  deed — and  said,  "An- 
swerest  thou  the  high  priest  so?"  He  answered  with 
quiet  dignity,  "If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the 
evil,  but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  me?" 

3.  As  soon  as  it  was  day,  possibly  an  hour  before  sun- 
rise, the  great  Sanhedrim,  or  council,  had  been  gotten 
hurriedly  together  in  their  hall  in  the  temple  area.  They 
consisted  of  "chief  priests  and  scribes,"  "elders  and  all 
the  council,"  and  they  took  charge  of  the  prisoner,  and 
"led  him  into  their  council,"  the  high  priest  presiding  and 
directing  the  prosecution  and  inquisition. 

They  had  suborned  many  false  witnesses,  but  their 
witness  did  not  agree.     Then  came  two  drilled  witnesses 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  129 

to  testify  that  when  he  purged  the  temple  three  years 
before,  he  said:  "I  will  destroy  this  temple  that  is  made 
with  hands,  and  in  three  days  I  will  build  another  made 
without  hands."  But  their  witness  did  not  agree.  No 
two  of  his  enemies  had  the  same  impression  of  anything 
he  had  said  or  done.  One  could  almost  imagine  that 
Nicodemus,  or  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  or  Gamaliel  were 
there  to  expose  these  witnesses  with  relentless  cross  ex- 
amination. But  they  and  the  other  chief  rulers  that  be- 
lieved on  him  had  hardly  been  summoned  to  this  untimely 
and  perjured  court. 

Then  Caiaphas  adopted  his  last  resource  to  escape  utter 
failure.  He  put  Christ  himself  on  oath.  He  had  not  till 
then  answered  a  word.  There  was  no  need,  for  the  wit- 
nesses were  all  self-convicted  liars.  Caiaphas  said :  "I 
adjure  thee,  by  the  Iving  God,  that  thou  tell  us  whether 
thou  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God."  This  was  the  grava- 
men of  all  their  charges,  and  the  secret  of  all  their  fiendish 
animosity.  He  will  hear  him  confess  it.  Jesus  said,  "I 
am ;  and  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  sitting  on  the  right 
hand  of  power,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven."  The 
high  priest  rent  his  clothes  in  frantic  wrath,  crying, 
"Blasphemy."  "What  think  ye?"  "And  they  all  con- 
demned him  to  be  guilty  of  death."  All,  not  one  vote  to 
stay  the  malice  of  this  packed  and  perjured  jury. 

Up  to  this  point  they  had  acted  with  some  show  of 
regard  for  the  forms  of  law.  But  now  they  rush  upon 
him  like  a  mob,  as  they  did  on  Stephen  afterward,  and 
they  spit  in  his  face  and  buffetted  him,  and  smote  him 
with  the  palms  of  their  hands,  and  mocked  him  and 
blindfolded  him,  and  smote  him  on  the  face  and  bade  him 
prophesy  who  smote  him,  and  many  other  blasphemous 
words  and  deeds.  They  would,  no  doubt,  have  torn  him 
in  pieces,  had  they  dared  do  so. 


130  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

4.  But  they  could  not  carry  out  their  sentence,  for  it 
was  not  lawful  for  them  to  put  any  man  to  death.  (John 
xviii.  31.)  So  they  led  him  away  to  Pilate's  judgment 
hall.  But  they  would  not  go  in,  lest  they  defile  themselves 
with  pagan  contact  during  the  Passover  festival,  though 
they  stood  ready  to  defile  their  hands  with  innocent  blood, 
and  their  souls  with  falsehood,  perjury,  hate  and  murder. 

Every  time  that  Pilate  communicated  with  them,  or 
they  with  him,  he  had  to  leave  his  judgment  throne  and 
hall  and  go  out  to  confer ;  though,  later  on,  it  does  seem 
that  they  forgot  their  scruples  in  their  effort  to  control 
and  direct  the  howling  mob,  and  overawe  the  governor 
into  compliance  with  their  demands. 

Pontius  Pilate  was  a  weak  and  vacillating  governor, 
with  some  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  righteous  rule 
of  Roman  law.  He  made  a  number  of  efforts  to  get  rid 
of  the  case,  or  acquit  the  prisoner,  and  at  the  same  time 
save  his  popularity  as  governor.  He  misread  the  mob 
before  him.  They  were  in  no  sense  representatives  of  the 
real  public  sentiment  in  Jerusalem,  nor  of  the  multitudes 
that  had  joined  in  the  triumphal  procession,  and  who 
had  seen  and  heard  Christ  all  the  week,  and  whose  right- 
eous indignation  the  rulers  feared.  The  crowd  in  Pilate's 
judgment  hall  were  evidently  the  tumultuous  rout  that 
went  with  Judas  to  the  betrayal,  increased  by  the 
sycophantic  dependents  and  hangers-on  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  hurriedly  gotten  together  for  the  occasion  in 
the  early  morn. 

Pilate's  Several  Efforts: 

1.  He  declined  jurisdiction  and  referred  the  matter 
back  to  them.  They  answered  that  he  was  a  malefactor, 
deserving  to  die,  and  that  he  must  take  the  case. 

2.  Then  he  resumed  the  case,  and  they  brought  three 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  131 

charges :  Perverting  the  nation,  forbidding  to  pay  tribute 
to  Caesar,  and  claiming  to  be  Christ,  the  King.  Not  one 
word  of  blasphemy,  on  which  charge  they  had  passed 
sentence  on  him.  They  brought  no  witnesses,  not  even 
a  perjured  one.  Pilate  asked  him  of  his  kingdom,  and 
when  told  that  his  kingdom  was  spiritual,  he  went  out  to 
the  Jews  again  and  said:  'T  find  in  him  no  fault  at  all." 

3.  Then  they  accused  him  of  many  things,  to  which 
he  made  no  answer,  so  that  Pilate  marvelled.  Still,  no 
witnesses.  Pilate  reported  again :  "I  find  no  fault  in  this 
man." 

4.  Then  they  grew  the  more  fierce.  "He  stirreth  up 
the  people,  teaching  throughout  all  Jewry,  beginning  from 
Galilee  to  this  place."  They  evidently  charge  sedition. 
When  Pilate  heard  that  he  was  a  Galilean  and  belonged 
to  Herod's  jurisdiction,  he  sent  him  to  him,  for  he  was  in 
Jerusalem  at  his  palace,  attending  the  feast.  His  ac- 
cusers followed  him  there,  but  made  no  impression. 

Herod  was  so  pleased  with  the  courtesy  shown  him 
by  Pilate,  that  they  made  friends  that  day.  They  had 
been  at  enmity.  This  was  foretold  in  the  second  Psalm. 
Peter  expounds  it  so  in  Acts.  After  Herod  and  his  sol- 
diers had  ''set  him  at  naught,  and  mocked  him,  and  ar- 
rayed him  in  a  purple  robe,"  he  sent  him  back  to  Pilate. 

5.  Pilate  announced  to  the  Jews  that  neither  Herod 
nor  himself  had  found  anything  worthy  of  death  in  him. 
He,  therefore,  proposed  to  chastise  him  and  let  him  go, 
thinking  thus  to  compromise  the  case,  and  set  him  free  as 
a  donative  to  the  people  at  the  feast.  This  last  would 
have  been  accepted  joyously,  if  only  a  fair  representation 
of  the  constituency  had  been  there.  But  the  chief  priests 
moved  the  people  to  ask  the  release  of  Barabbas,  guilty  of 
sedition  and  murder,  perhaps  the  tool  of  these  seditious 
rulers.     And   they   demanded   that   Christ   be   crucified. 


132  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

Pilate  asked  three  times :  "Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done  ?" 
But  they  cried  out  the  more,  "Crucify  him,  crucify  him." 
At  this  crucial  moment,  the  chief  priests  and  elders  evi- 
dently mixed  with  the  mob,  inspiring  and  directing  and 
leading  their  cries. 

6.  In  the  midst  of  the  tumult,  Pilate  took  water  and 
washed  his  hands  before  the  multitude,  saying:  "I  am 
innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person;  see  ye  to  it." 
Then  answered  all  the  people,  and  said :  "His  blood  be  on 
us  and  our  children."  ''Willing  to  content  the  people,  he 
released  Barabbas  unto  them"  and  "delivered  Jesus  to 
their  will."  He  had  him  scourged  by  the  soldiers,  as  was 
the  cruel  custom  before  crucifixion.  The  soldiers — the 
whole  band — put  a  scarlet  robe  on  him,  a  crown  of  thorns 
upon  his  head,  and  a  reed  in  his  hand,  and  bowed  the 
knee  and  mocked  him.  "Hail  king  of  the  Jews,"  and  they 
spit  on  him  and  took  the  reed  and  smote  him  on  the  head. 

7.  Pilate  made  one  more  effort  to  save  him.  He 
brought  him  out  to  them  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns  and 
the  purple  robe,  and  said :  "I  find  no  fault  in  him,"  re- 
peating it  a  second  time,  but  they  cried  out:  "Crucify 
him,  crucify  him.^'  Then  they  showed  their  true  colors  in 
the  face  of  the  trumped-up  accusations  and  they  said: 
"We  have  a  law,  and  by  our  law  he  ought  to  die,  because 
he  made  himself  the  Son  of  God." 

8.  This  seemed  to  perplex  Pilate  greatly,  and  he  went 
back  into  the  judgment  hall  for  a  conference  with  Christ. 
"Whence  art  thou?"  He  gave  no  answer.  Pilate  rebuked 
him  for  not  answering,  and  he  said :  "Knowest  thou  not 
that  I  have  power  to  crucify  thee  and  power  to  release 
thee  ?"  Jesus  answered :  "Thou  couldest  have  no  power 
at  all  against  me,  except  it  were  given  thee  from  above ; 
therefore  he  that  delivered  me  unto  thee  hath  the  greater 
sin."    Pilate  was  greatly  mystified.    He  had  a  little  while 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  133 

before  received  a  message  from  his  wife,  "^Have  thou 
nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man,  for  I  have  suffered 
many  things  this  day  in  a  dream  because  of  him." 

He  seems  to  have  set  himself  still  more  resolutely  to 
release  him.  Then  the  Jews  made  their  last  and  fatal 
thrust:  "If  thou  let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Caesar's 
friend."  Then  Pilate  brought  him  forth  to  the  judgment 
seat  in  the  Pavement.  He  said  to  the  Jews,  in  irony  and 
derision,  perhaps :  "Behold  your  king."  "Shall  I  crucify 
your  king?"  The  chief  priests  answered:  "We  have  no 
king  but  Caesar."    Then  he  delivered  him  to  be  crucified. 

The  utter  shamelessness  of  the  chief  priests  and  elders 
is  obvious  at  every  point  in  their  prosecution  before 
Pilate,  and  this  last  pretended  zeal  for  Caesar  was  eclipsed 
only  by  their  shameless  reply  to  Judas,  when,  stricken 
with  remorse,  he  brought  back  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver, 
saying:  "I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed  innocent 
blood."  They  said,  "What  is  that  to  us;  see  thou  to 
that;"  themselves  the  most  criminal.  When  he  threw 
down  the  money  in  the  temple  and  went  and  hanged  him- 
self, they  took  counsel  and  said  they  must  not  put  it  in 
the  treasury,  because  it  was  the  price  of  blood — "tainted 
money."  They,  therefore,  expended  it  for  a  charity ;  they 
bought  the  potter's  field,  to  bury  strangers  in,  and  so 
perpetuated  their  own  infamy. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Crucifixion. 

AFTER  the  soldiers  had  mocked  Jesus,  they  took 
off  the  purple  robe,  and  put  his  own  raiment  on 
him,  and  led  him  away  to  crucify  him.  It  was  the  custom 
for  the  convict  to  carry  his  cross  to  the  place  of  execution 
in  ignominy  and  shame.  So  they  laid  the  cross  upon  him 
and  started,  as  John  tells  us;  and  Paul  says:  "He  en- 
dured the  cross,  despising  the  shame."  But  he  was  not 
equal  to  it;  his  strength  was  exhausted.  He  had  fasted 
since  the  paschal  supper;  he  had  borne  the  agonies  of 
Gethsemane,  under  which  he  must  have  died,  bleeding 
at  every  pore,  had  not  an  angel  strengthened  him ;  he 
had  been  dragged  in  fetters  to  five  different  tribunals,  with 
all  the  indignities  to  which  he  had  been  subjected;  the 
soldiers  had  scourged  him  as  only  the  Roman  soldiers 
knew  how  to  do;  "They  ploughed  upon  my  back,  and 
made  deep  their  furrows ;"  and  with  all,  he  had  not  one 
moment  of  rest  or  sleep.  No  wonder  he  was  crushed 
under  the  cruel  beam,  and  they  found  it  necessary  to 
compel  another  to  bear  it  for  him,  one  Simon,  a  Cyrenian 
coming  out  of  the  country.  They  would  put  that  indig- 
nity on  no  one  of  themselves.  Two  malefactors  also 
were  led  with  him  to  be  put  to  death.  A  centurion  and 
his  band,  a  hundred  men,  constituted  the  military  escort, 
and  four  soldiers  were  detailed  to  each  convict  to  execute 
the  cruel  sentence, 

A  great  company  followed  him,  consisting  of  the  chief 
priests  and  scribes,  who  had  compassed  his  death,  and 
the  mob  who  thirsted  for  his  blood.    But  the  events  of  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  135 

night  and  morning  had  become  known  to  his  intimate 
friends,  and  many  of  them,  inchiding  John  and  his  mother 
and  other  ministering  women,  came  upon  the  scene  and 
followed,  bewailing  and  lamenting  him.  But  Jesus  turned 
to  them  and  said :  "Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for 
me,  but  weep  for  yourselves  and  your  children."  He  told 
them  of  the  impending  doom  of  the  city,  and  said :  "If 
these  things  be  done  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done 
in  the  dry?" 

They  came  to  Calvary  outside  the  gate — the  place  of  a 
skull — so  called,  either  because  it  was  the  usual  place  of 
public  executions,  or  because  the  little  conical  hill  bore 
some  resemblance  to  a  skull.  This  last  is  usually  accepted* 
The  exact  location  is  of  small  import. 

They  offered  him  a  stupefying  draught,  as  was  the 
custom,  to  deaden  his  sensibility  to  suffering,  but  he 
would  not  drink,  for  he  had  said :  "The  cup  that  my 
Father  hath  given  me  to  drink,  shall  I  not  drink  it?" 

Crucifixion  was  an  ignominious  death  among  the 
Romans;  slaves  and  criminals  of  the  lower  and  baser 
sort  were  put  to  death  in  this  way.  There  was  a  coarse 
brutality  about  it,  from  which  we  turn  away  with  horror. 
The  Evangelists  give  us  no  details;  no  more  need  we. 
A  loyal,  loving  heart  cares  not  to  dwell  upon  it,  save  as  it 
attests  the  infinite  love  of  him  who  bore  our  sins  on  the 
accursed  tree. 

They  crucified  him,  and  also  the  two  thieves — one  on 
his  right  and  one  on  his  left.  It  was  done  the  third  hour, 
nine  o'clock,  according  to  Mark.  In  John  it  is  stated  that 
Pilate  passed  sentence  "about  the  sixth  hour,"  12  o'clock. 
It  is  universally  held  that  this  is  a  corruption  of  the  text, 
not  only  because  it  disagrees  with  Mark,  but  also  because 
Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke  state  a  number  of  things  which 
transpired  after  he  was  crucified  and  before  the  sixth 


136  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

hour,  when  all  three  expressly  state  that  the  darkness 
began.  No  variant  reading  has  been  discovered  for  either 
Mark  or  John.  Scholars  have  felt  shut  in  to  believe  that 
there  has  been  an  error  here  in  copying  John's  Gospel. 
This  discrepancy  was  noted  in  the  second  century.  The 
time  was  when  infidels  and  skeptics  made  much  of  a 
few  discrepancies  in  numbers  like  this  found  in  the 
Scriptures,  but  now  we  hear  but  little  of  objections  from 
that  source,  because  they  are  so  easily  accounted  for. 

It  seems  meet,  however  that  his  crucifixion  and  his 
death  should  substantially  correspond  with  the  hours  of 
the  morning  and  the  evening  sacrifice — the"  third  and 
ninth  hours.  We  put  forward  this  solution  of  the  diffi- 
culty with  some  diffidence.  They  divided  the  night  into 
four  periods,  of  three  hours  each,  beginning  at  six,  nine, 
twelve,  and  three  o'clock  by  our  own  mode  of  count, 
called  the  first,  second,  third,  and  fourth  watches  of  the 
night.  Small  note  was  taken  of  the  intervening  hours  for 
ordinary  purposes.  The  day  was  divided  into  four  simi- 
lar periods  of  three  hours  each,  beginning  at  six,  nine, 
twelve,  and  three  o'clock  by  our  computation.  These 
periods  seem  to  be  named  or  designated  by  the  hour  at 
which  they  began,  and  little  note  was  taken  of  the  hours 
inside  of  each  period. 

The  only  mention  of  an  intervening  hour  inside  of  one 
of  those  periods  to  be  found  in  the  Scripture  is  in  the 
parable  of  the  Laborers  in  the  Vineyard,  where  mention  is 
made  of  the  eleventh  hour.  According  to  this,  these 
several  hours  designated  periods,  and  not  exact  defi- 
nitions of  time  by  the  sun-dial.  If  we  allow  this  expo- 
sition, then  Mark  locates  the  crucifixion  in  the  second 
period  between  nine  and  twelve  o'clock.  According  to 
John,  it  was  nearly  noon  at  which  time  the  third  period 
began.     Eleven  o'clock  or  thereabouts,  would  fulfill  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  137 

limits  of  both  statements,  and  harmonize  them  both. 
Besides,  this  would  give  two  more  hours  for  the  num- 
erous details  of  the  trial  and  sentence,  and  also  allow  an 
hour  for  the  incidents  of  the  crucifixion  before  the  dark- 
ness set  in.  Besides,  if  more  time  is  needed,  we  are  not 
obliged  to  suppose  that  the  darkness  began  exactly  at 
twelve  o'clock,  and  ended  exactly  at  three,  nor  that  he 
died  exactly  at  three.  We  may  note  further  that  these 
times  are  estimated,  and  not  verified  exactly  to  the  hour 
and  minute,  as  is  done  with  chronometers  to-day. 

By  applying  this  principle  of  approximate  estimation, 
we  easily  resolve  some  of  the  discrepancies  in  numbers 
found  in  Old  Testament  history.  This  solution  does  not 
disagree  with  the  typical  parallel  indicated  above,  for 
the  morning  burnt  offering  was  made  and  consumed  in 
the  second  period,  and  the  evening  sacrifice  in  the  fourth 
period,  and  not  at  any  point  of  time. 

Was  Pilate  there?  Why  not?  The  chief  priests  and 
elders  were  there  to  gloat  on  the  scene.  The  noblest 
Romans,  men  and  matrons,  found  their  highest  recrea- 
tions in  gladiatorial  butcheries,  executions  of  criminals, 
and  combats  with  wild  beasts.  Besides,  Pilate  affixed  a 
title  to  the  cross,  "The  King  of  the  Jews."  The  chief 
priests,  writhing  under  the  sarcasm  of  it,  asked  him  to 
change  it,  but  he  replied:  "What  I  have  written,  I  have 
written."     He  must  have  been  there. 

The  fulfilments  of  prophecy  during  the  events  of  the 
crucifixion  have  been  discussed  under  another  head,  and 
need  not  be  noted  again. 

Christ's  prayer,  "Father,  forgive  them,  they  know  not 
what  they  do,"  was  evidently  a  plea  for  the  soldiers  who 
were  his  executioners,  as  we  see  from  Luke  xxiii.  33,  34. 
His  prayers  were  always  answered,  and  we  have  an  inti- 
mation of  the  answer  in  this  case,  for  the  centurion  in 


138  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

charge,  and  they  that  were  with  him,  glorified  God  when 
all  was  over,  and  said :  "Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God." 
Who  will  say  they  did  not  exercise  a  genuine  faith  in 
him,  as  other  centurions  and  soldiers  did,  before  and  after 
this? 

The  surging  mob  that  had  followed  him  reviled  him, 
wagging  their  heads,  and  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  and 
elders  mocked  him,  and  the  soldiers  Hkewise,  saying:  "He 
saved  others,  himself  he  cannot  save."  "If  thou  be  the 
Son  of  God,  come  down  from  the  cross ;"  "He  trusted  in 
God,  let  him  deliver  him,"  and  many  other  such  blas- 
phemous words  and  actions.     But  he  "reviled  not  again." 

The  two  thieves  also  joined  in  the  mocking  and  railery, 
"casting  the  same  in  his  teeth,"  "If  thou  be  the  Christ, 
save  thyself  and  us."  But  presently  one  rebuked  his 
fellow  sharply,  and  full  of  contrition,  said  to  Jesus,  "Lord, 
remember  me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom."  And 
Jesus  said  to  him,  "To-day  thou  shalt  be  with  me  in 
Paradise."  No  repenting  sinner  was  ever  yet  rejected  by 
him,  nor  ever  shall  be.  "In  Paradise."  Where?  Not  in 
the  grave ;  not  in  Hades,  the  realm  of  the  dead ;  not  in  the 
purgatory  of  the  Papist  to  which  they  consign  the  best 
of  men  for  a  season;  not  in  the  linibus  patrum  of  the 
fathers,  invented  as  a  temporary  receptacle  for  unbaptized 
infants  and  good  heathens ;  nor  yet  in  the  rather  colorless 
intermediate  state  which  some  suppose  to  be  the  abode 
of  all  the  dead  till  after  the  resurrection  of  the  body. 

Paradise?  Where?  It  is  the  abode  of  the  blest.  The 
Scriptures  call  it  heaven ;  Eden,  the  earthly  paradise,  was 
its  type  and  symbol,  which  paradise  was  lost.  The  Book 
of  Revelation,  which  tells  of  Paradise  regained,  is  full 
of  figures  drawn  from  the  earthly  Paradise.  While  their 
bodies  were  still  hanging  lifeless  on  the  cross,  Christ,  in 
his  twofold  personality,  God  and  man,  and  the  repentant 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  139 

and  forgiven  malefactor,  made  perfect  in  holiness,  imme- 
diately passed  into  glory.     Such  is  our  faith. 

Now,  his  mother  and  her  sister  and  other  ministering 
women  from  Galilee  had  overcome  their  fears  and  stood 
by  the  cross,  and  John  stood  by  them.  The  Angel  at  the 
Annunciation  had  said  to  her :  "A  sword  shall  pierce 
through  thine  own  soul  because  of  him."  In  this,  her 
extremity,  he  committed  her  to  the  care  of  the  beloved 
disciple,  and  he  took  her  to  his  own  home. 

When  Jesus  was  betrayed  in  the  garden,  he  said :  "This 
is  your  hour  and  the  power  of  darkness."  He  might  have 
asked  for  twelve  legions  of  angels  to  defend  and  avenge 
him,  but  no,  the  Scripture  must  be  fulfilled.  Peter  says 
that  he  was  delivered  by  the  determinate  counsel  and  fore- 
knowledge of  God,  to  be  crucified  and  slain  by  wicked 
hands.  Sin  and  Satan  had  everything  their  own  way. 
Malignity  was  triumphant  and  blatant.  When  they  dis- 
honored the  Son,  they  dishonored  the  Father. 

Again  and  again  the  Father  had  spoken  from  heaven  to 
attest  and  vindicate  the  claims  of  his  Son.  Shall  the 
Father  give  no  witness  now,  even  though  the  Son  is 
draining  the  dregs  of  the  cup  of  wrath  in  the  sinner's 
place?  It  would  seem  that  heaven  could  forbear  no 
longer.  At  midday  began  a  series  of  portents,  such  as 
had  never  yet  been  witnessed  by  man,  nor  ever  shall  be 
until  the  final  consummation.  At  high  noon,  when  the 
sun  was  shining  in  his  splendor  on  Jerusalem  and  on  the 
hills  and  valleys  of  Palestine,  there  settled  a  pall  of  dark- 
ness over  all  the  land.  The  sun  was  veiled  in  darkness 
for  three  hours.  The  word,  in  the  original,  may  or  may 
not  mean  total  darkness;  but,  taken  in  connection  with 
the  other  portents,  we  may  fairly  assume  that  it  was 
total.  The  story  of  that  three  hours  is  not  written.  There 
was  nothing  for  men  to  write.     The  reviling,  scoffing 


140  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

mob  is  stricken  into  silence  and  abject  fear.  The  Roman 
soldiers  cease  from  their  profane  raffle.  Not  a  voice  nor 
sound  is  heard,  unless,  perchance,  the  sobbing  of  the 
women,  now  retired  to  a  distance,  or  now  and  then  a 
groan  from  the  suffering  Saviour,  or  now  and  then  a 
drop  of  clotted  blood  falling  to  the  ground. 

What  does  it  mean  ?  It  is  not  a  mere  portent  to  rebuke 
his  enemies.  His  despairing  cry  at  the  end  of  the  period 
tells  the  story:  "My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  thou  for- 
saken me?"  Gethsemane  is  repeated,  and  more  than 
repeated,  in  the  anguish  and  throes  of  spiritual  death — the 
hiding  of  God's  face.  His  prayer  was  heard ;  his  ex- 
postulation touched  the  Father's  heart.  The  darkness  is 
lifted,  the  sun  comes  brightly  out  in  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon ;  the  divine  favor  is  restored ;  and  he  had  fin- 
ished the  work  the  Father  had  given  him  to  do.  A  great 
cry;  a  shriek.  Then  he  said:  "Father,  into  thy  hands  I 
commend  my  spirit."  And  he  cried,  "It  is  finished,"  and 
bowed  his  head  and  gave  up  the  Ghost. 

And  behold  the  vail  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain 
from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  as  if  the  great  descending 
hand  of  Jehovah  had  rent  it.  The  way  into  the  Holy  of 
Holies  is  henceforth  open  to  all.  He  will  no  longer  oc- 
cupy the  royal  pavilion  as  the  theocratic  head  of  his  peo- 
ple.    They  have  repudiated  and  murdered  their  king. 

And  the  earth  did  quake,  and  the  rocks  rent.  Earth- 
quakes are  said  to  be  more  awe-inspiring  and  terrific 
than  any  or  all  of  nature's  portents  besides.  It  was  so 
at  Mount  Sinai,  and  it  was  so  here. 

And  the  graves  were  opened — rock-hewn  tombs  in  the 
sides  of  the  mountain,  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints, 
which  slept,  arose  and  came  out  of  their  graves  after 
his  resurrection  and  went  into  the  Holy  City,  and  ap- 
peared unto  many.     The  significance  of  this  resurrection 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  141 

will  be  considered  in  the  next  chapter.  It  is  sufficient  to 
mention  it  here. 

In  these  portents  Christ  was  vindicated,  his  claims  to 
sonship  attested,  and  his  enemies  confuted.  No  wonder 
the  centurion  and  those  with  him  said:  *'Of  a  truth  this 
was  the  Son  of  God."  No  wonder  the  crowd  that 
hounded  on  these  things,  smote  upon  their  breasts  and 
departed. 

The  Jewish  law  did  not  allow  a  body  to  hang  on  the 
tree  over  night,  but  it  had  to  be  removed  by  the  going 
down  of  the  sun.  The  Romans  had  no  such  law,  but  the 
victims  of  crucifixion  sometimes  lingered  two  or  three 
days  before  dying.  But,  now,  this  day  was  the  prepara- 
tion for  the  Sabbath,  and  that  Sabbath,  the  Sabbath  of 
the  Passover,  was  a  ''high  day,"  probably  the  most  im- 
portant in  the  year.  Out  of  defference  to  the  Jews,  Pilate 
gave  orders  that  their  legs  be  broken  and  their  bodies 
taken  away.  The  soldiers  on  either  side  brake  the  legs  of 
the  two  thieves,  to  end  their  agonies,  but  when  they  came 
to  Jesus,  they  found  him  dead,  and  brake  not  his  bones, 
and  the  Scripture  was  fulfilled:  ''A  bone  of  him  shall  not 
be  broken."  This  was  the  law  of  the  Passover  lamb, 
which  was  a  type,  a  prophecy  of  him.  We  have  seen 
that  typology  was  prophecy  in  elaborate  object  lessons. 

But  was  he  dead  ?  Perhaps  he  had  swooned.  In  order 
to  be  sure  of  his  death,  one  of  the  soldiers  pierced  his  side 
and  sought  his  heart  with  the  precision  of  a  Roman 
spearsman,  and  when  he  pierced  the  pericardium,  "forth- 
with came  there  out  blood  and  water."  The  blood  which 
had  accumulated  there  from  the  broken  valve  had  already 
separated  into  the  watery  serum  and  the  more  solid 
coagulation.  Another  Scripture  was  fulfilled:  "They 
shall  look  on  him  whom  they  pierced."  John  only  records 
the  piercing,  but  he  insists  on  the  truth  of  his  testimony 


142  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

as  eye-witness.  His  executioners  were  satisfied  of  his 
death.  The  centurion  assured  Pilate  he  was  dead.  There 
could  be  no  mistake. 

Then  came  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  and  begged  the  body 
of  Jesus.  He  was  a  rich  man,  an  honorable  counsellor, 
already  a  secret  disciple,  waiting  for  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Nicodemus  joined  him.  They  took  down  the  body  with 
loving  hands  and  wrapped  it  in  fine  linen,  with  myrrh 
and  aloes.  They  laid  it  in  Joseph's  own  new  rock-hewn 
tomb,  in  a  garden  hard  by.  And  they  rolled  a  great 
stone  and  closed  the  sepulchre,  no  doubt  the  properly 
fitted  door  of  the  tomb.  Mary  Magdalene  and  the  other 
Mary  sat  over  against  the  tomb  and  saw  how  they  laid 
him,  and  then  went  away  to  prepare  sweet  spices  and 
ointments ;  and  they  rested  on  the  Sabbath  day,  accord- 
ing to  the  Commandment. 

On  the  next  day,  which  was  the  Sabbath,  the  chief 
priests  and  Pharisees  went  to  Pilate  and  said:  "Sir^  we 
remember  that  that  imposter  said  while  he  was  yet  alive : 
'After  three  days  I  will  rise  again.'  "  So,  to  make  sure, 
they  put  the  governmental  seal  on  the  stone  and  set  a 
watch  of  soldiers,  lest  his  disciples  should  come  by  night 
and  steal  the  body  away.  So  they  unwittingly  provided 
wakeful,  watchful,  and  disinterested  witnesses  to  his  res- 
urrection, for  it  was  death  for  a  Roman  soldier  to  sleep 
on  his  post.  '  ''^  "'•  ' ; 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Resurrection  and  Ascension. 

AT  EARLY  dawn,  the  first  day  of  the  week,  after 
the  Sabbath  was  passed,  there  was  a  great  earth- 
quake, for  an  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven 
and  came  and  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the 
sepulchre  and  sat  upon  it.  His  appearance  was  like 
lightning.  This  earthquake  was  no  natural  phenomenon, 
though  earthquakes  were  not  unusual  in  Palestine.  It 
was  connected  with  the  power  of  the  angel,  and  was  a 
fitting  miraculous  attestation  to  the  resurrection  and  to 
Christ's  triumph  over  death  and  hell.  No  wonder  the 
watch  did  shake  with  fear,  and  became  as  dead  men.  Be- 
fore they  recovered,  he  was  risen  and  gone,  and  not  in 
haste,  as  was  indicated  by  his  disposition  of  the  grave 
clothes.  They  evidently  fled  in  terror.  Before  the  women 
arrived  at  the  sepulchre,  some  of  the  watch  were  well  on 
their  way  into  the  city,  to  report  the  facts  to  the  chief 
priests.  They  assembled  with  the  elders — one  of  the 
Sanhedrim,  doubtless— and  took  counsel,  and  gave  large 
money  to  the  soldiers,  bribing  them  to  suppress  the  facts 
and  say  that  the  disciples  came  by  night  and  stole  the 
body  while  they  slept.  And  they  promised,  "if  this  come 
to  the  governor's  ears  we  will  persuade  him  and  secure 
you."  This  arrangement  inevitably  leaked  out  and  became 
current,  to  the  evident  discomfiture  of  his  enemies  and  a 
larger  reaction  of  popular  faith  and  favor.  The  actual 
testimony  of  the  only  eye-witnesses  to  the  resurrection 
scene  thus  became  public  property,  and  was  all  the  more 
effective,  because  of  the  shameful  eflfort  to  suppress  it. 


144  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  of  designations  of  time 
in  the  history  as  given  in  the  Gospels,  ''On  the  third  day," 
and  "After  three  days."  These  two  are  easily  disposed 
of  as  signifying  the  same  thing,  counting  part  of  Friday 
as  one  day ;  Saturday  as  one  day ;  and  part  of  Sunday  as 
one  day.  This  mode  of  counting  was  usual  among  the 
Jews.  But  the  phrase  "Three  days  and  three  nights" 
has  given  much  trouble,  for  on  any  mode  of  reckoning, 
he  was  only  two  nights  in  the  grave,  and  only  about 
thirty-six  hours  in  all,  instead  of  seventy-two  hours 
(three  whole  days  and  nights.)  The  traditional  solution 
is  that  the  phrase  is  technical,  and  was  well  understood 
by  those  for  whom  the  Evangelists  wrote.  We  have  a 
similar  usage  in  i  Samuel  xxx.  11-13,  where  the  phrase 
"three  days  agone"  (which  is  "day  before  yesterday")  is 
called  "three  days  and  three  nights."  We  reconcile  the 
apparent  discrepancy  in  this  way :  "A  night  and  a  day" 
was  a  unit  period,  called  also  a  day.  Any  part  of  this 
unit  counts  as  the  whole,  and  might  be  called  by  any  name 
given  to  the  unit.  In  this  nomenclature  the  day,  or  any 
part  of  it,  no  matter  how  small,was  properly  called  "a  day 
and  a  night."  Parallel  to  this  was  the  mode  of  counting 
the  years  of  a  life,  or  of  a  king's  reign.  A  few  days  or 
any  fraction  of  a  year,  at  the  beginning  or  end  of  a 
reign,  was  counted  as  a  year — any  part  of  the  unit  was 
counted  as  the  whole.  Yet,  some  have  been  so  troubled 
with  the  apparent  contradiction  that  they  have  found  it 
necessary,  by  a  forced  exegesis,  to  locate  the  crucifixion 
on  the  day  before  the  Passover,  Thursday,  which  has 
already  been  confuted. 

To  return  to  the  events  of  the  early  morning.  The  two 
Marys,  Salome,  Joanna,  and  other  women  were  on  their 
way  to  the  sepulchre  with  the  spices  they  had  bought  to 
anoint  the  body.     The  exact  order  of  events  and  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  145 

number  and  order  of  his  appearances  that  day  are  not 
easy  of  solution,  as  gleaned  from  the  accounts  of  the  four 
evangelists.  It  is  usually  admitted  that  there  were  five 
appearances  of  Christ  that  day,  though  no  one  of  the 
Gospels  mentions  them  all.  Mark  mentions  three  and 
says  he  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene.  Every  effort 
has  been  made  to  explain  away  this  as  the  first.  The 
appearance  to  Peter  is  not  mentioned  by  either  evangelist. 
The  appearance  to  the  company  of  women  is  mentioned 
only  by  Matthew,  and  incidentally  alluded  to  by  Luke. 
The  appearance  to  Cleopas  and  another  disciple  is  men- 
tioned by  Mark  and  Luke.  The  appearance  to  the  apostles 
at  night  is  found  only  in  Mark  and  John. 

Much  of  the  difficulty  of  arranging  the  order  of  events 
is  due  to  the  assumption  that  all  the  women  went  to- 
gether to  the  tomb.  This  assumption  is  by  no  means 
necessary,  but  rather  the  contrary.  We  may  assume  that 
they  had  agreed  to  meet  at  the  tomb  early  the  first  day  of 
the  week.  And  they  seem  to  have  arrived,  some  alone, 
and  some  two  and  three  together ;  "when  it  was  yet 
dark ;"  when  "it  began  to  dawn ;"  "Very  early  in  the 
morning;"  "At  the  rising  of  the  sun."  These  would 
seem  to  be  different  designations  of  time,  in  part  at  least. 
No  doubt  they  were  all  there  by  sunrise,  or  soon  there- 
after. Starting  with  this  theory,  we  easily  adopt  the 
following  as  the  order  of  events : 

I.  Mary  Magdalene  reached  the  tomb  "while  it  was  yet 
dark,"  and  §aw  the  stone  rolled  away,  and  the  watch 
gone.  She  ran  with  such  speed  as  the  occasion  inspired 
and  told  Peter  and  John,  evidently  not  very  far  away, 
and  said,  "They  have  taken  away  the  Lord  out  of  the 
sepulchre,  and  we  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him." 
They  both  ran  with  all  speed,  John  out-running  Peter. 
John  looked  in  and  saw  the  linen  clothes  lying.     Peter 


146  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

then  ran  up  and  went  into  the  tomb,  and  noticed  the  or- 
derly arrangement  of  the  linen  clothes,  and  the  napkin 
that  was  about  his  head,  wrapped  together  in  a  place 
by  itself.  John  then  went  in,  and  noting  these  things 
carefully,  he  believed,  strangely  enough,  "For  as  yet  they 
knew  not  the  Scripture  that  he  must  rise  again  from  the 
dead."  Then  they  went  home — Peter's  home,  which  was 
in  the  city.  But  Peter  was  still  "wondering  in  himself 
at  that  which  was  come  to  pass."  His  faith  was  still  weak. 
He  was  mystified. 

By  this  time  Mary  Magdalene  had  gotten  back  and 
stood  at  the  sepulchre  weeping.  She  stooped  down  and 
looked  in,  and  saw  two  angels  sitting,  the  one  at  the  head 
and  the  other  at  the  foot  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had 
lain,  and  they  said :  "Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ?"  When 
she  had  told  her  trouble,  she  turned  and  saw  a  man  near 
her.  She  supposed  it  was  the  gardener,  and  made  her 
plaint.  But  Jesus  said,  "Mary."  She  knew  him  and 
cried,  "Master,"  and  was  evidently  about  to  embrace  his 
feet,  when  he  forbade  her.  This  was  the  first  appear- 
ance, according  to  Mark,  and  there  was  ample  time  for 
these  things  before  the  rising  of  the  sun — the  best  part 
of  an  hour. 

2.  By  this  time  the  women  had  all  arrived  on  their 
errand  of  love,  some  of  them  wondering  who  would  roll 
away  the  stone.  The  first  sight  that  greeted  their  eyes 
was  the  angel  sitting  on  the  stone  now  rolled  away,  very 
much  as  the  watch  had  seen  him.  He  bade  them,  "Fear 
not."  Thus  reassured,  they  entered  the  sepulchre  and 
there  saw  another  angel  and  he  too  said:  "Be  not 
afifrighted."  The  two  angels  joined  in  assuring  them 
that  he  was  risen  from  the  dead ;  "Come  and  see  the 
place  where  the  Lord  lay."  How  sweet  the  invitation  to 
these  yearning,  loving  hearts  and  ministering  hands. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ,  147 

While  they  were  still  much  perplexed,  two  other  men 
in  shining  garments  stood  by  them  and  joined  in  the  con- 
ference with  them — four  angels  and  possibly  a  dozen 
women.  This  could  not  have  been  a  formal  conference- 
one  angel  after  another  talking  and  formal  replies  from 
the  women.  It  is  so  much  easier  and  more  natural  to 
suppose  that  these  four  angels  talked  informally  with  the 
women  as  they  arrived,  and  as  they  passed  in  and  out 
at  their  kind  invitation.  The  four  angels  separately  and 
jointly  addressing  one  and  another  of  the  women, 
told  them  the  story,  soothed  their  fears,  confirmed  their 
faith  and  bade  them  go  quickly  and  tell  his  disciples.  And 
they  must  especially  tell  poor,  suffering  Peter,  whose 
memory  of  the  denial  was  still  acute,  and  his  faith  still 
weak;  "He  is  risen  from  the  dead  and  goeth  before  you 
into  Galilee."  And  the  women  departed  quickly  in 
fear  and  great  joy  and  did  run  to  bring  his  disciples  word. 
Mary  Magdalene  seems  now  to  be  in  the  forefront,  for 
she  had  already  seen  him. 

And  as  they  went  Jesus  met  them,  saying,  ''All  hail, 
and  they  came  and  embraced  his  feet  and  worshipped 
him,"  Mary  Magdalene  with  the  rest.  He  does  not  now 
forbid  to  touch  him.  He  repeated  the  message  of  the 
angels  to  his  disciples.  They  went  and  told  all  these 
things  to  the  eleven  and  to  all  the  rest.  But  their  words 
seemed  as  idle  tales.     This  was  the  second  appearance. 

3.  Paul  in  I  Cor.  xv.  5-8,  in  making  a  partial  list  of 
the  witnesses,  says,  "He  was  seen  of  Cephas  (Peter)  then 
of  the  twelve."  It  is  usual  to  locate  this  appearance  to 
Peter  in  the  afternoon,  for  the  two  disciples  going  to 
Emmaus  had  not  heard  of  it  when  they  left  the  city, 
though  they  do  refer  to  the  visit  of  Peter  and  John  to  the 
empty  tomb.  But  on  their  return  to  the  city,  they  were 
told  that  he  had  appeared  unto  Simon.     This,  then,  was 


148  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

the  third  appearance,  and  the  special  reason  of  it  is  not  far 
to  see,  other  than  that  he  was  the  chief  apostle,  as  the 
Romanist  claims.  It  would  seem  profane  to  attempt  to 
describe  the  sacred  and  holy  tenderness  and  love  of  that 
interview. 

4.  The  fourth  appearance  was  to  Cleopas  and  another 
disciple,  as  they  were  going  that  same  day,  toward  even- 
ing, to  a  village  called  Emmaus.  Cleopas  was  the  hus- 
band of  the  other  Mary,  and  was  also  the  brother  of 
Joseph,  and  was  thus  the  double  uncle  of  Jesus.  His 
name  was  also  Alpheus,  and  he  was  the  father  of  James 
the  Less,  of  Jude  and  of  Joses.  We  have  reason  to  think 
that  Luke  was  his  companion  on  this  trip ;  and  he  wrote 
full  details  of  their  meeting  with  Jesus,  while  Mark  only 
mentions  the  fact  of  his  appearing  to  them.  They  were 
both  mature  men  of  fifty  or  sixty  years,  men  of  great 
prominence  and  influence  among  the  early  disciples. 

This  interview  is  the  most  striking  and  interesting  of 
them  all  in  the  recorded  details.  Emmaus  was  named 
for  its  "hot  baths,"  and  was  seven  and  a  half  miles  north- 
west of  Jerusalem,  quite  a  long  walk.  As  they  walked, 
they  communed  earnestly  and  sadly  of  the  events  of  the 
last  few  days.  Jesus  joined  them^  but  their  eyes  were 
holden,  that  they  did  not  know  him. 

We  may  allow  Luke  to  tell  the  story  in  his  own  words, 
(xxiv.  17-27)  :  "He  said  unto  them,  what  manner  of 
communications  are  these  that  ye  have  one  to  another 
and  are  sad  ?  And  one  of  them,  whose  name  was  Cleopas, 
answering,  said  unto  him,  Art  thou  only  a  stranger  in 
Jerusalem,  and  hast  not  known  of  the  things  which  are 
come  to  pass  in  these  days  ?  And  he  said  unto  him,  what 
things?  And  they  said  unto  him,  concerning  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  which  was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word 
before  God,  and  all  the  people ;  and  how  the  chief  priests 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  149 

and  our  rulers  delivered  him  to  be  condemned  to  death 
and  have  crucified  him.  But  we  trusted  that  it  had  been 
he  which  should  have  redeemed  Israel ;  and  besides  all 
this,  to-day  is  the  third  day  since  these  things  were  done. 
Yea,  and  certain  women,  also  of  our  company,  made  us 
astonished,  which  were  early  at  the  sepulchre ;  and  when 
they  found  not  his  body,  they  came  saying  that  they  had 
also  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  which  said  he  was  alive. 
And  certain  of  them  which  were  with  us  went  to  the 
sepulchre,  and  found  it  even  so  as  the  women  had  said, 
but  him  they  saw  not.  Then  he  said  unto  them,  O  fools 
and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have 
spoken !  Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things 
and  to  enter  into  his  glory?  And,  beginning  at  Moses 
and  all  the  prophets,  he  expounded  unto  them  in  all  the 
Scriptures  the  things  concerning  himself." 

We  know  not  the  exact  arguments  he  used,  but  there 
was  ample  time,  as  they  walked,  to  unfold  the  Scriptures 
from  Genesis  to  Malachi,  and  to  set  up  his  claims,  and 
to  expound  his  sufferings  from  type  and  prophecy— "the 
lamb  of  God  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world"— 
and  also  to  assure  them  of  his  resurrection  glory.  We 
may  not  put  words  into  his  mouth ;  no  more  may  we  sup- 
pose that  he  omitted  anything  of  importance  in  the  un- 
folding. 

As  they  drew  nigh  the  village,  they  pressed  their  hos- 
pitality upon  him.  Some  have  entertained  angels  un- 
awares. Abraham  once  entertained  him  in  theophanic 
incarnation,  along  with  two  angels,  and  was  blessed. 
These  men  were  also  blessed  in  entertaining  the  same 
Lord,  incarnated  and  risen.  They  knew  him  when  he 
took  the  bread  and  blessed  it;  and  he  vanished  out  of 
their  sight.  And  they  said  to  each  other,  "Did  not  our 
hearts  burn  within  us,  while  he  talked  with  us  by  the 
way,  and  while  he  opened  to  us  the  Scriptures?" 


150  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

They  returned  at  once  to  Jerusalem,  and  found  tlie 
eleven  gathered  together,  and  others  with  them,  who  said, 
"The  Lord  is  risen  indeed  and  hath  appeared  unto 
Simon."  Some  did  not  believe  the  story  of  the  two  dis- 
ciples. 

5.  Still  later  in  the  evening,  the  eleven  sat  at  meat  with 
doors  shut,  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  The  word,  in  the  orig- 
inal, means  shut,  barred,  and  barricaded.  Jesus  suddenly 
appeared  in  their  midst  with  the  salutation,  "Peace  be  with 
you."  "They  were  terrified  and  affrighted,  and  supposed 
they  had  seen  a  spirit."  He  showed  them  his  hands  and 
his  feet  and  his  side.  When  they  still  could  hardly  believe 
for  joy  and  wonder  and  the  overmastering  ecstasy,  he  ate 
a  piece  of  broiled  fish  and  of  a  honeycomb  before  them. 

He  then  gave  them  a  summary  from  Moses,  the  Pro- 
phets, and  the  Psalms ;  how  it  behooved  him  to  suffer  and 
to  rise  from  the  dead  on  the  third  day.  And  he  opened 
their  hearts  to  understand  the  Scriptures.  He  also  gave 
them  the  great  commission :  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  But  he  bade 
them  tarry  at  the  city  of  Jerusalem  until  they  were  "en 
dued  with  power  from  on  high,"  by  which  all  the  neces 
sary  "signs  following"  might  be  wrought  and  realized  in 
attestation  of  their  mission. 

Here,  again,  Luke  is  much  fuller  in  recording  details 
because  this  was,  in  a  sense,  a  continuation,  repetition 
and  expansion  of  his  interview  with  Jesus  on  his  way  to 
the  country.  The  appearance  named  by  Paul  may  have 
been  the  one  just  recited  or  it  may  have  been  the  one  a 
week  later,  or  it  may  have  included  both. 

6.  Thomas,  called  Didymus,  was  absent  when  Jesus 
showed  himself  in  the  midst  of  his  disciples,  and  when 
he  was  told  of  it,  he  expressed  his  unbelief  in  the  most 
emphatic    terms.     "After  eight    days" — seven    by    our 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  151 

count — they  were  all  assembled,  and  Thomas  was  present, 
and  the  doors  were  shut.  Christ  again  appeared  in  their 
midst,  and  he  challenged  Thomas :  "Reach  hither  thy 
fingers  and  behold  my  hands ;  and  reach  hither  thy  hand 
and  thrust  it  into  my  side;  and  be  not  faithless,  but  be- 
lieving." Thomas  explored  the  still  gaping  wounds,  and 
said,  "My  Lord  and  my  God,"  convinced  and  adoring. 
Jesus  said:  "Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou 
hast  believed ;  blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and 
yet  have  believed."  What  other  lessons  he  gave  that 
night,  we  are  not  informed. 

7.  The  seventh  appearance  recorded  was  to  seven  of 
the  disciples,  presumably  all  apostles,  who  went  fishing  in 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  under  the  leadership  of  Peter.  They 
toiled  all  night,  and  caught  nothing.  In  the  morning  a 
stranger  stood  on  the  shore  and  bade  them  cast  the  net 
on  the  right  side  of  the  ship.  They  did  so,  and  were 
barely  able  to  land  the  net,  with  the  help  of  the  other 
little  ship — ''one  hundred  and  fifty  and  three  great  fishes." 
John  recognized  him^  and  told  Peter.  And  they  all  soon 
knew  him,  and  they  saw  a  fire  of  coals  on  the  land  and 
fish  laid  thereon  and  bread.  And  Jesus  gave  them  a 
morning  meal  of  his  own  providing — ''bread  and  fish 
likewise."  John  speaks  of  this  as  the  third  appearance 
of  Jesus  to  his  disciples,  though  four  were  absent. 

His  challenge  of  Peter's  love  three  times — "Lovest  thou 
me?" — and  his  commission — "Feed  my  lambs,"  "Feed 
my  sheep" — are  matters  of  great  interest  at  this  inter- 
view. So,  also,  his  prophetic  description  of  how  Peter 
should  die.  It  seems  also  that  Jesus  asked  Peter  to  follow 
him  a  little  distance  for  a  more  private  interview,  and 
Peter  looked  behind  and  saw  John  following,  and  said 
to  Christ,  "Lord,  what  shall  this  man  do?"  Jesus  re- 
plied, "If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to 


152  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

thee?  Follow  thou  me."  In  this  reply  he  rebuked  Peter's 
jealousy,  and  at  the  same  time  intimated  to  John  to  re- 
main behind  and  await  his  return.  Out  of  this  incident 
grew  the  report  that  John  would  not  die.  He  recites 
the  incident  in  his  gospel,  in  order  to  show  the  absurdity 
of  the  report.   (John  xxi.  19-24.) 

8.  Then  he  appeared  to  the  eleven  by  appointment  on  a 
certain  mountain  in  Galilee.  It  is  agreed  that  the  five 
hundred  disciples  mentioned  by  Paul  were  present  at  this 
time  for  a  final  interview,  a  fitting  close  of  his  Galilean 
ministry.  Here  he  repeated  the  great  commission,  in 
slightly  varied  form,  and  said,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  al- 
ways, even  to  the  end  of  the  world."  Whatever  else  the 
Parousia  may  mean,  this  promise  has  always  been  in- 
effably precious,  and  always  will  be. 

9.  After  this,  he  appeared  to  James,  but  we  know 
nothing  of  it  except  the  bare  fact. 

10.  There  may  have  been  other  appearances,  and  prob- 
ably were,  for  we  read :  "He  shewed  himself  alive  after 
his  passion  by  many  infallible  proofs,  being  seen  of  them 
for  forty  days."  Enough,  however,  has  been  told  us  for 
our  instruction  and  profit.  (Acts  i.  3.) 

At  the  end  of  forty  days  the  apostles  met  him  in  Jeru- 
salem for  the  last  time,  evidently  by  appointment.  He 
repeats  certain  promises  and  injunctions  that  he  had 
given  before,  touching  their  early  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  so  that  they  shall  be  witnesses  to  him,  both  in 
Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea,  in  Samaria,  and  to  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth. 

And  he  led  them  out  as  far  as  Bethany,  or  better,  "till 
they  were  over  against  Bethany,"  on  Mount  Olivet.  "He 
lifted  up  his  hands  aad  blessed  them."  And  "while  he 
blessed  them,  he  was  parted  from  them  and  carried  up 
into  heaven ;"  and  "sat  on  the  right  hand  of  God."  As  he 
ascended,  ^'A  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  153 

While  they  were  still  looking  upward,  two  men,  in 
shining  apparel,  two  angels,  stood  by  them  and  said : 
"This  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into 
heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  you  have  seen 
him  go  into  heaven."  Luke  says  ''They  worshipped  him 
and  returned  to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy,  and  were  con- 
tinually in  the  temple,  praising  and  blessing  God.  Amen." 

There  is  a  strong  probability  that  "forty  days,"  so 
often  recurring  in  the  Scriptures,  is  an  abbreviation  for 
"forty  and  two  days"  and  signifies  six  weeks.  If  so,  then 
the  Ascension  took  place  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
just  six  weeks  after  the  resurrection,  and  one  week  be- 
fore Pentecost.  The  statement  made  by  Luke  in  Acts  i. 
12,  that  Mount  Olivet  was  a  Sabbath  day's  journey  from 
Jerusalem  seems  to  confirm  this  view.  They  had  already 
begun  to  observe  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  their  Sab- 
bath, and  they  considered  it  important  to  observe  the  day 
according  to  approved  usage. 

We  have  already  seen  that  in  the  closing  crucifixion 
scene,  "The  graves  were  opened ;  and  many  bodies  of  the 
saints  which  slept  arose  and  came  out  of  the  graves  after 
his  resurrection,  and  went  into  the  holy  city  and  appeared 
unto  many."  It  is  plain  that  the  rock-walled  tombs  were 
opened  by  the  earthquake  when  the  rocks  were  rent,  but 
this  resurrection  of  the  saints  was  after  Christ's  resurrec- 
tion and  connected  with  its  power.  What  did  it  signify? 
We  may  not  speculate,  much  less  dogmatize  about  it. 
But  Paul  gives  us  the  key  when  he  says :  "Now  is  Christ 
risen  from  the  dead  and  become  the  first  fruits  of  them 
that  slept."  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  after  the  Sab- 
bath in  Passover  week  the  high  priest  presented  a  new- 
mown  sheaf,  the  first  fruits  of  the  ripening  harvest,  before 
the  Lord.  This  first  fruits  was  the  earnest  and  pledge  of 
the  harvest  and  of  the  divine  blessing  thereon.    This  was 


154  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

a  type  which  Christ  fulfilled  in  his  resurrection  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  the  earnest  and  the  pledge  of  the  res- 
urrection of  his  people.  When  our  great  High  Priest 
passed  into  the  heavens  it  would  seem  meet  that  he  carry 
with  him  a  sheaf  of  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept,  these 
saints  that  came  out  of  the  graves  after  his  resurrection, 
of  which  many  people  in  Jerusalem  were  witnesses ;  and 
these  first  fruits  he  presented  to  the  Father  as  his  pledge 
to  bring  all  his  people  in  due  season.  His  resurrection 
was  his  pledge  to  us ;  their  resurrection  was  a  pledge  to 
the  Father.  "Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  to  thy 
name  be  all  the  glory." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Overlapping  of  the  Dispensations. 

THE  Scriptures  consist  of  two  parts,  called  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  New  Testament,  the  Old  Cov- 
enant and  the  New  Covenant.  They  set  forth  the  history 
and  the  principles  and  the  varied  forms  of  two  great 
divine  administrations,  which  we  call  dispensations.  The 
term  covenant  is  more  scriptural,  perhaps,  but  the  word 
dispensation  suits  our  purpose  better,  because  its  usage  is 
not  so  varied. 

We  call  one  Jewish  and  the  other  Christian,  but  there 
is  no  distinct  line  of  cleavage,  as  we  shall  see,  but  rather 
a  transition  period,  which  is  easily  recognizable. 

Moses  is  called  the  author  of  the  Jewish  Dispensation, 
and  the  Christian  Dispensation  is  named  for  Christ.  The 
Old  Testament  Scriptures  give  account  of  other  dispen- 
sations, or  administrations,  or  covenants,  both  before  and 
after  Moses. 

Strictly  speaking,  there  has  been  but  one  administration 
or  dispensation  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  time,  in 
which  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  have  originated, 
executed,  and  perfected  the  divine  plan  and  purpose  for 
the  salvation  of  sinners.  But  such  changes  have  been 
made  from  time  to  time  in  the  outward  form  and  in  the 
organization  and  franchises  of  his  redeemed  people,  that 
we  may  fairly  speak  of  them  as  different  dispensations  of 
divine  origin.  The  church  dates  back  to  the  beginning, 
and  has  had  various  forms  of  life  and  organization  till 
now,  and  will  have  till  the  end  of  time. 


156  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

We  seek  to  discover  the  law  of  these  changes;  how 
originated  and  how  executed.  Were  they  the  naturahstic 
products  of  an  evolutionary  process,  constantly  reaching 
after  something  better,  both  in  form  and  principle? 
Some  say  yes.  These  suppose  that  they  have  discovered 
the  history  of  the  material  universe  from  dead  matter  in 
primeval  form,  through  all  its  inorganic  and  its  organic 
forms,  up  to  man.  They  then  consistently  seek  to  account 
for  the  historic  unfolding  of  all  human  institutions,  social, 
civil,  religious,  and  ecclesiastical,  by  the  same,  or  anal- 
ogous evolutionary  processes,  and  they  leave  scant  room 
for  divine  agency. 

Or  may  we  suppose  that  all  the  changes  we  trace  in 
form  and  doctrine  throughout  the  ages  are  a  development 
from  germinal  forms  and  principles,  according  to  neces- 
sary laws,  and  under  the  providental  guidance  of  infinite 
wisdom?    Yes,  say  some. 

This  theory  is  certainly  much  more  reverent  and  at- 
tractive than  the  other.  We  do  not  propose  to  reply  to 
either  of  these  theories  except  as  a  presentation  of  the 
historic  facts  may  bear  upon  them. 

While  the  covenant  of  grace  was  made  in  the  counsels 
of  eternity  between  the  Father  and  the  Son,  there  has 
been  a  human  side  in  which  man  was  not  only  the  benefi- 
ciary, but  a  prominent  factor  in  the  various  forms  of  ad- 
ministration of  that  eternal  covenant.  Several  changes 
were  made  in  the  outward  form  and  dress  of  the  church 
on  occasion  to  suit  varying  conditions,  and  each  change 
issued  in  a  new  dispensation,  until  another  change  be- 
came necessary. 

Our  object  is  to  sustain  this  principle,  that  each  new 
dispensation  was  engraffed  on  the  old,  overlapping  it  for 
a  season,  but  not  superseding  it  till  it  became  necessary  by 
the  logic  of  events.    This  comports  with  a  fuller  discus- 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  157 

sion  and  definition  of  Bible  covenants  found  in  Chapter 
IV.,  pp.  43-52  of  '^Modern  Mysticism"  by  the  author. 
The  same  principle  is  further  elucidated  in  the  discussion 
of  the  Synagogue,  which  is  to  be  published  in  another 
connection. 

We  may  note,  further,  that  every  dispensation  had 
certain  fundamental  facts  and  features,  which  are  of  the 
very  essence  thereof,  and  which  continued  through  all 
changes  of  form  and  dress  and  will  continue  till  the  end. 
The  form  and  fashion  might  change,  but  the  substance 
remained  unchanged  and  unchangeable. 

A  careful  induction  would  seem  to  indicate  six  dispen- 
sations— The  Patriarchal,  The  Abrahamic,  The  Mosaic, 
The  Regal,  The  Synagogue,  and  The  Christian  dispensa- 
tions. We  shall  see  that  none  of  these  were  independent 
of  the  others,  but  they  overlapped  and  supplemented  each 
other.  Accidental  and  temporary  features  passed  away 
when  they  had  served  their  purpose.  Universal  and  nec- 
essary features  abide. 

I.  The  Patriarchal  Dispensation.  The  history  before 
the  flood  is  very  meagre,  but  we  easily  recognize  certain 
fundamental  features  of  their  spiritual  life  and  worship. 
They  had  so  much  of  natural  religion,  as  is  suggested  by 
the  family,  the  Sabbath,  the  moral  law  and  its  sanctions, 
and  the  obligation  to  worship  God,  all  accentuated  by  di- 
vine teaching.  They  had  a  ritual  typology  in  their  wor- 
ship, bloody  offerings  and  oblations,  administered  by  a 
priesthood  on  holy  ground  "Before  the  Lord."  There 
were  divine  communications  in  various  forms.  It  need 
hardly  be  said  that  the  fulfilment  of  all  this  was  in  the 
Gospel,  and  that  Christ  was  the  substance  of  it  all.  It 
would  seem  also  that  the  head  of  the  house  was  the  re- 
ligious head  of  the  family  in  the  three-fold  ofitice  of  king, 
priest  and  prophet,  as  appears  so  plainly  later  on.     And 


158  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

the  place  for  assembling  for  ordinary  worship  was  the 
home,  or  tent,  or  family  roof-tree.  The  human  adminis- 
tration was,  therefore,  patriarchal.  What  form  of  hier- 
archy there  was  above  and  superior  to  the  single  family 
priest  is  not  revealed,  but  essential  analogy,  as  seen  later 
on,  would  seem  to  say  that  there  was  a  governmental 
bond  maintained  by  such  a  hierarchy,  and  lodged  in  it. 
After  the  flood,  Noah  evidently  followed  antediluvian 
antecedents  in  worship  from  the  day  he  came  out  of  the 
ark.  The  patriarchal  system  exactly  fitted  the  conditions 
as  at  the  beginning.  Tradition  says  that  Shem  became 
the  great  high  priest  in  the  hierarchy  in  which  Melchize- 
dek  was  his  possible  successor.  Some  think  that  Melchi- 
zedek  was  Shem  himself. 

II.  The  Abrahamic  Dispensation.  This  began  with  the 
covenant  with  Abraham,  whereby  he  became  the  father 
of  the  faithful  for  all  time,  and  also  the  father  of  a  people 
who  should  receive  and  preserve  the  oracles  of  God 
against  the  time  of  universal  apostasy.  This  dispensation 
or  covenant  was  ratified  and  sealed  with  the  rite  of  cir- 
cumcision. He  and  his  descendants  preserved  the  pa- 
triarchal system  in  worship  and  form  unmodified,  for 
four  hundred  and  thirty  years.  He  also  recognized  and 
lived  under  the  older  patriarchal  hierarchy,  for  he  paid 
tithes  to  Melchizedek,  a  great  high  priest.  Have  we  no 
traces  of  this  hierarchy  later  on?  When  Joseph  was  in 
Egypt  the  worship  of  Jehovah  seems  to  have  been  the 
religion  of  the  state  under  the  shepherd  kings,  and 
Potipherah,  priest  of  On,  seems  to  have  been  their  high 
priest.  Moses  lived  for  forty  years  in  close  contact  with 
Jethro,  prince  and  priest  of  Midian.  Balaam,  another 
high  priest  of  the  same  people  in  the  far  East,  marks  a 
stage  in  the  apostasy  and  decay  which  went  rapidly  on 
while  Abraham's  descendants  were  growing  into  a  great 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  159 

people.  There  is  no  indication  that  there  were  any  other 
than  family  priests  among  them  till  they  reached  Mount 
Sinai ;  at  least,  after  the  expulsion  of  the  shepherd  kings 
and  their  worship. 

III.  The  Mosaic  Dispensation;  sometimes  called  the 
Sinaitic  Covenant.  Up  to  the  Mosaic  institutions  there 
had  been  no  modification  of  the  patriarchal  system  of 
worship,  except  the  natural  results  of  turning  away  from 
the  worship  of  the  true  God  to  polytheism  and  idolatry. 
This  went  on  more  and  more  rapidly  as  the  centuries 
passed,  and  with  such  momentum  that  the  worship  of  God 
by  the  Hebrews  was  often  put  in  jeopardy. 

The  Mosaic  legislation  was  God-given,  and  consisted  of 
two  parts,  civil  and  religious.  The  family  was  adjusted 
to  the  State,  and  became  an  integral  part  of  a  great  com- 
monwealth. This  commonwealth  was  a  confederated  re- 
pubUc  of  sovereign  States.  This,  we  cannot  discuss  at 
this  time,  except  to  define  this  commonwealth  as  a  theo- 
cracy, of  which  Jehovah  was  the  civil  head  and  king.  To 
this  was  added  a  fairly  well  defined  and  imposing  ritual 
of  pantomime  and  pageant  worship,  which  was  national 
in  its  aspects,  and  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  worship 
of  individuals,  families,  and  congregations.  The  civil  side 
of  this  covenant  passed  through  various  modifications 
down  to  the  time  of  its  final  overthrow  by  the  Romans. 
These,  however,  would  hardly  be  called  dispensations,  ac- 
cording to  the  definition  under  which  we  are  working, 
except,  perhaps,  one. 

On  the  reHgious  and  ecclesiastical  side  in  Mosaic  legis- 
lation Jehovah  was  also  the  head  of  the  church,  as  he  has 
been  in  all  dispensations,  and  that  headship  was  mani- 
fested at  the  tabernacle  along  with  his  civil  headship. 
The  two  met  in  him  separately  and  yet  conjointly,  each 
in  equilibrio. 


i6o  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

The  patriarchal  system  was  modified  to  this  extent : 

1.  The  priesthood  was  taken  out  of  the  family,  and 
lodged  in  a  priestly  tribe  and  family ;  and  a  hierarchy  was 
set  up  with  a  high  priest,  having  priests  under  him. 

2.  The  oracle  and  the  spirit  of  prophecy  were  taken 
out  of  the  family  and  lodged  in  the  high  priest  by  virtue 
of  the  office,  and  in  such  prophets  as  might  receive  a 
special  divine  call  to  the  office  of  prophet. 

3.  The  Levites  were  assistants  to  the  priests  in  the 
tabernacle  service,  and  were  also  the  educators  of  the 
young;  and  by  reason  of  their  leisure,  became  the  learned 
expounders  of  the  divine  law.  Tithes  supported  priests 
and  Levites. 

4.  The  head  of  the  family  remained  as  before — the 
responsible  head  and  teacher  of  his  house — and  the  pa- 
triarchal forms  and  modes  of  moral  and  spiritual  worship 
remained  as  heretofore.  Levites  and  inspired  prophets  and 
teachers  assisted  and  reinforced  this  simple  patriarchal 
worship.  Organized  congregations  were  not  yet  intro- 
duced. 

5.  Moral  law  was  written  in  permanent  form  as  the 
foundation  of  this  covenant,  and  was  further  elucidated 
and  applied  in  detail  throughout  their  social  and  civil  in- 
stitutions. 

6.  Ritual  and  typical  worship  remained  as  handed 
down  from  the  beginning,  and  the  details  were  all  care- 
fully written — prophecy  in  elaborate  object  lessons.  No 
new  rite  was  imposed,  but  the  times,  and  seasons,  and 
number  of  established  rites  were  ordained  to  suit  new  and 
changed  conditions. 

7.  The  Abrahamic  Covenant  continued  with  its  coven- 
ant promises,  sealed  by  circumcision,  and  with  a  modified 
patriarchism  as  above  set  forth.  It  may  be  fairly  claimed 
that  the  Mosaic  dispensation  was  engraffed  on  the 
Abrahamic. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  i6i 

IV.  The  Regal  Dispensation.  It  may  be  questioned 
whether  the  advent  of  the  kingdom  marks  a  new  dispen- 
sation. This  much  is  certain ;  it  marks  a  great  epoch  in 
the  history.  Some  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  the  theocracy 
was  suspended  from  the  advent  of  the  kingdom  to  the 
captivity.  It  would  be  easy  to  show  that  this  is  not  true, 
but  it  is  not  necessary  to  the  trend  of  our  argument  to 
do  so. 

Saul's  kingdom  was  a^failure,  if  not  a  fiasco.  The 
kingdom  culminated  in  David  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
new  order  of  things.     We  may  note  prominent  features : 

1.  David  and  his  kingdom  became  a  most  prominent 
type  of  Christ  and  his  kingdom.  He  was  the  viceroy  of 
the  theocratic  king  in  a  more  obvious  way  than  was  seen 
in  Mosaic  institutions  before  his  time. 

2.  The  king  greatly  strengthened  federal  bonds  be- 
tween the  tribes,  and  power  was  more  centralized  than 
ever  before.  The  Levites,  who  were  now  very  numerous, 
were  utilized  to  fill  federal  offices,  because  they  had  no 
tribal  and  sectional  allegiance. 

3.  David  greatly  enlarged  and  expanded  the  temple 
ritual  by  arranging  the  courses  of  the  priests  and  the  dis- 
tribution of  their  duties.  He  also  arranged  courses  of 
singers,  musicians,  porters,  and  treasurers  for  the  temple 
service.  He  seems  also  to  have  distinguished  tithes  from 
taxes — taxes  for  state  purposes,  tithes  for  the  ministers 
of  religion,  though  this  distinction  was  not  new. 

We  need  not  trace  here  the  rise  of  poHtico-religious 
parties  under  the  kingdom,  its  corruption,  decline,  and 
final  apostasy,  ending  in  the  captivity. 

V.  The  Synagogue  Dispensation.  The  captivity  for 
seventy  years  was  the  next  great  epoch  in  the  history. 
The  kingdom  was  overthrown ;  the  temple  was  destroyed ; 
its  elaborate  ritual  was  suspended;  and  so  also  was  the 


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outward  form  or  shell  of  the  Sinaitic  and  Regal  Dispen- 
sations. The  patiarchal  system  was  gone  forever.  The 
temple  and  the  ritual  were  to  be  restored  for  a  season  and 
maintained  by  a  remnant  returned  to  Palestine.  The 
Aurahamic  Covenant  remained,  and  also  the  social  life 
and  usages  continued  as  laid  down  in  the  law.  The 
spirit  of  prophecy  remained.  Daniel  and  Ezekiel,  and 
perhaps  others,  were  the  prophets  of  the  captivity.  How 
shall  the  sacred  oracles,  the  faij^i  of  the  people,  and  spirit- 
ual worship  be  preserved? 

The  answer  is  obvious.  The  synagogue  was  engraffed 
on  the  Abrahamic  Covenant  to  supersede  the  patriarchal 
form  and  dress.  Outside  of  the  family  sprang  up  the 
organized  congregation  with  its  spiritual  worship — 
reading,  preaching,  praise  and  prayer.  This  was  the 
catholic  and  universal  feature,  overlapping  the  restored 
ritual  for  five  hundred  years.  It  was  destined  to  remain 
the  permanent  form  and  dress  of  the  covenant  after  the 
ritual  should  pass  away. 

VI.  The  Christian  Dispensation.  This  marks  the  di- 
viding line  from  all  that  has  gone  before — the  great  epoch 
foreshadowed  in  type  and  prophecy.  The  Abrahamic  cov- 
enant remained  in  its  essence.  The  moral  law  remained 
in  full  force  and  was  of  universal  application.  The  syna- 
gogue remained  as  its  permanent  form  and  dress,  with  its 
simple  spiritual  worship.  The  head  of  the  family  re- 
mained the  religious  head  of  his  house,  but  as  an  integral 
part  of  the  church,  under  its  teaching  and  government. 

The  one  distinguishing  feature  of  this  dispensation  is 
this:  The  ritual,  typical,  and  ceremonial  worship  of  all 
former  dispensations  passed  away  because  they  were  all 
fulfilled  in  Christ.  When  the  substance  came,  the  shadow 
passed  away. 

By  a  strict  logic  it  might  seem  that  the  theocracy,  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  163 

Jewish  commonwealth,  and  all  the  Jewish  ritual  were 
properly  ended  when  Christ  arose  from  the  dead  and 
ascended  into  heaven.  But  this  was  not  God's  method. 
We  find  here  the  same  overlapping  which  has  been  traced 
in  all  former  dispensations.  For  thirty  years  the  early 
church  conformed  to  the  Jewish  ritual,  though  it  was 
early  decided  that  Gentile  converts  need  not  be  circum- 
cised nor  conform  to  the  ritual.  The  duration  of  this 
overlapping  period  is  the  apostolic  period,  which  was 
really  temporary,  extraordinary,  and  in  a  sense  abnormal 
and  transitional.  The  ritual  was  finally  abolished,  not  by 
legislation,  nor  divine  command.  But  it  was  all  deter- 
mined by  the  logic  of  events.  Daniel's  famous  prophecy 
connected  the  Roman  armies  with  the  making  of  "Sacri- 
fice and  offering  to  cease,"  and  so  it  turned  out.  The 
only  semblance  of  a  ritual  in  this  dispensation  is  bap- 
tism and  the  Lord's  Supper.  Many  questions  emerge 
here,  which  it  is  not  pertinent  to  answer  in  this  discussion. 

There  shall  be  yet  another  dispensation.  The  Millen- 
nium. Of  this,  we  may  not  dogmatize,  but  it  is  fair  to 
presume  that  the  same  principle  of  overlapping  shall  pre- 
vail there  also. 

All  these  changes  of  dispensation  and  their  overlapping 
were  of  divine  origin  and  appointment,  and  cannot  be 
accounted  for  as  growth  development;  much  less  were 
they  the  naturalistic  product  of  evolutionary  processes. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Summary  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

WE  ASSUME,  without  formally  reciting,  the  hope- 
less, lost  condition  of  the  human  race  after  the 
fall,  both  for  time  and  eternity — the  guilt,  the  curse,  the 
wrath,  the  woe,  the  death,  temporal  and  eternal,  and  all 
the  numerous  ills  that  have  grown  out  of  sin.  All  of  this 
happened  according  to  the  "determinate  counsel  and  fore- 
knowledge of  God."  "The  Lord  hath  made  all  things  for 
himself,  yea  even  the  wicked  for  the  day  of  evil."  (Prov. 
xvi.  4.) 

The  Gospel  is  the  remedy  for  all  of  this.  The 
covenant  of  grace  between  the  Father  and  the  Son  dates 
back  to  the  counsels  of  eternity,  and  when  man  sinned 
the  Son  at  once  undertook  the  mediatorial  work  of  re- 
demption. 

The  term  Gospel,  in  its  broadest  sense,  includes  the 
whole  body  of  truth  as  found  in  the  Scriptures,  and  all 
the  administration  of  grace  from  the  beginning  to  the  end. 
It  includes  the  authoritative  statement,  and  re-statement 
of  all  the  doctrines  of  natural  religion,  and  all  the  revela- 
tion of  the  way  of  life,  as  set  forth  in  type,  prophecy,  and 
historic  facts  and  realization. 

Christ  and  his  salvation  are  the  beginning  and  the  end 
of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  central  thought  and  purpose 
of  the  whole.  Redemption  spans  the  whole  arc  of  time, 
and  reaches  out  into  eternity  in  its  consummation.  Every 
truth  in  the  Bible  is  of  the  very  substance  of  the  Gospel 
or  ancillary  to  it. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  165 

In  the  narrower  sense,  the  Gospel  is  good  news,  salva- 
tion, the  supply  of  all  man's  need,  and  the  remedy  for  all 
his  ills.  It  is  summed  up  in  the  words  "Christ  and  him 
crucified."  It  embraces  that  modicum  of  tnitli  whicli  is 
necessary  to  our  justification,  adoption,  sanctification,  and 
final  glorification. 

We  do  not  propose  here  to  state  that  modicum  of  trutli 
in  creedal  form,  nor  to  sketch  a  systematic  theology  or 
soteriology.  Both  creeds  and  theological  systems  are  of 
supreme  value  in  their  places  and  relations  for  the  defense 
of  truth  and  the  exclusion  of  error.  But  we  propose  to 
present  in  popular  form  a  many-sided  view  of  the  Gospel 
as  found  in  the  Scriptures,  so  that  arranging  and  com- 
bining them  all  into  one  whole  we  may  get  a  complete 
summary  in  concrete  form,  rather  than  abstract  state- 
ment. 

Summary  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  or  man's  needs  sup- 
plied by  the  Gospel,  and  how? 

1.  The  new  birth.  The  Gospel  finds  man  dead,  spir- 
itually dead,  'Mead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  He  "must  be 
born  again,"  ''born  of  water  and  of  the  spirit."  (John  iii. 
3-8.)  "Born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God."  (John  i.  13.)  This 
is  "The  washing  of  regeneration  and  the  renewal  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  (Titus  iii.  5.)  Christ  quickens  by  his  word 
and  Spirit  and  "the  dead  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  and  they  that  hear  shall  live."  (John  v.  25.)  Re- 
generation is  so  intimately  connected  in  time  and  causa- 
tion with  faith  and  repentance,  that  serious  mistakes  are 
made  in  the  analysis,  and  serious  errors  arise  as  to  the 
source  and  origin  of  efficacious  grace.  Such  errors  con- 
dition regeneration  on  faith  and  repentance,  and  not  on 
the  "will  of  God"  and  the  "election  of  grace." 

2.  Repentance.    Man  is  not  to  be  saved  in  his  sins,  but 


i66  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

he  must  turn  from  them  toward  obedience  and  hohness; 
and  he  desires  to  do  so  when  born  again.  This  is  also  a 
gift,  a  grace.  "Turn  thou  to  me  and  I  shall  be  turned." 
"After  that  I  was  turned  I  repented,"  said  Ephraim.  (Jer. 
xxxi.  i8,  19.)     This  grace  implies  faith,  as  we  shall  see. 

3.  Remission  of  sins.  This,  with  repentance,  is  a  gift 
of  God.  "God  hath  also  granted  to  the  Gentile  repentance 
unto  life."  (Acts  xi.  18.)  Repentance  and  remission  of 
sins  are  the  first  stage  in  a  new  life.  But  "without  the 
shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission."  (Heb.  ix.  22.) 
Christ's  blood — "blood  shed  for  many  for  the  remission 
of  sins."  (Matt.  xxvi.  28.)  Thee  vicarious  atonement 
of  Christ  is  the  very  essence  of  Christianity.  Compare 
Acts  X,  43. 

4.  A  perfect  righteousness.  God's  holy  law  requires 
nothing  less  and  will  be  satisfied  with  nothing  less.  Sin, 
original  and  actual,  is  all  man  can  furnish  in  place  of  a 
personal,  perfect,  and  perpetual  obedience.  Christ  in  the 
flesh  took  the  sinner's  place  under  the  law,  not  only  to 
pay  the  penalty  of  the  broken  law  for  the  sinner,  but, 
by  a  life  of  obedience,  to  work  out  a  perfect  righteous- 
ness "imputed  to  us  and  received  by  faith  alone."  This 
is  the  "righteousness  of  God"  so  often  mentioned  in  con- 
trast with  our  own.  Compare  2  Cor.,  v.  19-21.  The 
doctrine  of  Atonement  cannot  stand  without  imputation 
also. 

5.  The  adoption  of  sons.  All  claim  to  a  father's  love 
and  care  was  gone,  forever  gone.  But  "To  them  gave  he 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  as  many  as 
believed  on  his  name."  (John  i.  12.)  "Beloved,  now  are 
we  the  sons  of  God."  (i  John  iii.  2.)  We  read  of  the 
"whole  family  in  heaven  and  on  earth,"  named  of  Jesus 
Christ — Christians.     (Eph.  iii.  15;  Acts  xi.  26.) 

6.  The  true  Fatherhood  of  God.     There  is  a  spurious 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  167 

sentimentalism  prevalent  to-day,  which  claims  sonship  in 
God's  family  for  every  sinner  on  earth,  and  ignores  the 
curse  of  the  law,  and  the  wrath  of  God  on  sinners.  It 
practically  denies  that  sinners  are  children  of  the  wicked 
one.  "Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil/'  said  Christ  to 
the  Jews.  God  is  the  Father  in  the  household  of  faith, 
and  not  the  father  of  the  devil  and  his  children.  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  elder  brother  in  this  same  family. 

7.  The  true  brotherhood  of  man.  This  same  spurious 
sentimentalism  abolishes  the  distinction  between  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked,  and  places  them  in  one  family. 
It  modifies  the  Gospel  into  altruism,  and  practically  denies 
the  distinction  of  brother  in  Christ.  But  the  Gospel  puts 
the  believer  into  God's  family  by  adoption ;  and  Jesus 
Christ  is  our  elder  brother  as  well  as  our  Reedemer. 

8.  Holy  living.  "Without  holiness,  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord."  "Be  ye  holy  as  God  is  holy."  This  was  the 
divine  foreordination  for  his  people.  (Eph.  ii.  10.)  This, 
we  call  sanctification,  which  is  a  work  of  God's  Spirit  by 
the  word,  progressive  toward  the  perfect  standard  and 
example  set  by  Christ.  This  gift  enables  us  more  and 
more  to  die  unto  sin  and  live  unto  holiness. 

9.  This  implies  deliverance  from  the  power  of  sin,  as 
well  as  from  the  guilt  of  sin.  There  is  now  ''no  con- 
demnation to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus,"  because  they 
are  pardoned,  justified,  and  acquitted.  Liability  to  pun- 
ishment is  gone,  because  he  died,  the  just  for  the  unjust. 
By  his  sanctifying  grace  he  delivers  us  from  the  power 
and  dominion  of  sin. 

10.  All  these  needs  of  the  sinner  are  received  by  faith. 
Faith  lays  hold  of  the  precept  and  the  promise  alike  for 
its  warrant.  Even  faith  is  the  gift  of  God.  The  disciples 
said  "Lord,  give  us  more  faith,"  and  the  centurion  said, 
"Lord,  I  believe,  help  thou  mine  unbelief."     Paul  says: 


1 68  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

"By  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith,  and  that  not  of 
yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God."  (Eph.  ii.  5,  8.) 

11.  Peace  with  God.  "God  is  angry  with  the  wicked 
every  day,"  and  the  "carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God." 
The  Gospel  makes  peace  between  the  parties  in  the  way 
already  set  forth.     (Rom.  v.  i.) 

12.  Peace  of  conscience.  "There  is  no  peace  to  the 
wicked."  Conscience  condemns,  and  the  passions  rage 
and  burn  with  constant  apprehension  of  evil.  The  good 
and  the  bad  are  in  constant  warfare  within  him,  if  con- 
science be  not  seared.  The  bitter  anguish  and  remorse 
cease,  aiiH  the  forgiven  sinner  finds  rest  in  his  soul.  This 
peace  is  enhanced  by  the  sense  of  pardon,  and  the  love 
and  confidence  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

13.  Peace  among  men.  This  does  and  shall  prevail 
wherever  the  Gospel  prevails,  and  just  to  the  extent  to 
which  it  controls  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men.  Conten- 
tions, strifes,  and  selfishness  are  the  normal  condition  of 
the  sinner,  but  the  Gospel  is  the  antidote  for  all  this. 
Isaiah  ii.  4;  Micah  iv.  3,  etc.) 

14.  Hope  instead  of  despair.  The  sinner  is  without 
hope  and  without  God  in  the  world  so  long  as  he  is 
without  Christ.  But  in  Christ  he  can  "rejoice  in  hope 
of  the  glory  of  God."  More  than  this,  he  "glories  in  tri- 
bulation also."  (Rom.  v.  2,  3.) 

15.  He  can  also  have  a  foretaste  of  joy  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory.  Joy  in  the  Lord  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost  are  part  of  the  heritage,  while  blackness  and 
despair  are  the  heritage  of  sin.  (i  Peter  i.  8.) 

16.  The  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  the  heart.  Jesus 
is  to  his  people  the  "Chief  among  ten  thousand,  and  the 
one  altogether  lovely."  This  love  says:  "Whom  have  I 
in  heaven  but  thee,  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I 
desire  besides  thee."     It  sanctifies  and  sweetens  all  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.  169 

ties  of  life.  It  embraces  in  its  arms  all  that  love  him, 
and  in  reaching  after  the  salvation  of  lost  sinners  also, 
it  is  transformed  into  the  same  great  love  that  brought 
him  down  to  save  us,  if  indeed  it  be  not  the  same  in  its 
origin. 

17.  Communion  and  fellowship.  Love  is  the  key  to 
this,  and  of  its  very  essence.  It  is  expressed  in  the  apos- 
tolic benediction,  "The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  love  of  God  the  Father,  and  the  communion  and  fel- 
lowship of  the  Holy  Spirit  be  and  abide  with  you  all.'" 
This  is  no  empty  formulary.  There  is  fellowship  in 
the  family,  there  is  fellowship  in  the  church ;  there  is 
the  communion  of  saints  on  earth  and  in  heaven ;  there 
is  communion  and  fellowship  with  God.  All  that  fellow- 
ship is  love. 

18.  We  need  strength  in  weakness.  Paul  says  "when 
I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong."  (2  Cor.  xii.  10.)  Again, 
"I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ,  which  strengtheneth 
me."  (Phil.  iv.  13.) 

19.  Deliverance  from  temptation.  He  teaches  us  to 
pray,  "Lead  us  not  into  temptation."  "He  suffered  being 
tempted  that  he  might  succor  them  that  are  tempted." 
(Heb.  ii.  18.)     So  also  i  Cor.  x.  13,  and  2  Pet.  ii.  9. 

20.  Victory  over  all  our  enemies.  The  wicked  one 
wages  a  cruel  and  relentless  warfare,  but  he  is  no  match 
for  the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  who  goeth  forth  con- 
quering and  to  conquer.  Compare  Rom.  viii.  35-39.  "The 
last  enemy  is  death,  and  thanks  be  to  God  which  giveth 
us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  (i  Cor. 
p-  54-57;  26.) 

21.  He  bears  our  griefs  and  carries  our  sorrows  with  a 
true  brother's  sympathy.  He  overrules  all  things  for 
the  good  of  his  people,  and  for  his  own  glory,  because  he 
is  head  over  all  things  to  the  church,  which  he  redeemed 
with  his  own  precious  blood.  (Matt.  xi.  28,  29.) 


170  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

22.  He  provides  a  mercy  seat.  We  need  a  prayer  hear- 
ing and  a  prayer  answering  God.  The  Father  will  not 
turn  us  empty  away  when  we  come  in  the  name  of  his 
Son.  He  hears  the  poor  and  the  needy.  He  is  the 
widow's  portion  and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless.  The 
mercy  seat  is  not  set  up  in  vain;  none  go  empty  away. 
Prayer  moves  the  arm  that  moves  the  world. 

23.  Sinning  children  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father. 
He  finds  his  wandering  sheep  and  brings  them  back  to  the 
fold,  and  he  bears  the  lambs  in  his  bosom.  If  he  does  not 
always  turn  aside  the  chastening  rod  he  helps  us  bring 
forth  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness  when  exer- 
cised thereby,  (i  John  ii.  i.) 

24.  He  gives  citizenship  in  his  kingdom.  The  visible 
church  with  its  rights,  franchises,  government,  and  wor- 
ship is  a  priceless  blessing  to  believers  and  their  seed. 
But  the  invisible  church,  the  true,  spiritual  kingdom, 
who  may  estimate  it  ?  Believers  are  no  longer  aliens  from 
the  commonwealth  of  Israel  and  strangers  to  the  coven- 
ants of  promise,  but  fellow  citizens  with  the  saints  and  of 
the  household  of  God. 

25.  He  writes  our  names  in  heaven.  "A  book  of  re- 
membrance was  written  before  him  for  them  that  feared 
the  Lord  and  that  thought  upon  his  name."  (Mai.  iii.  16.) 
He  keeps  a  register  of  all  who  are  his,  so  that  not  one 
shall  be  lost.  That  register  is  the  "book  of  life" — "The 
Lamb's  book  of  life." 

26.  He  will  call  us  home  in  due  season.  We  need  a 
home;  we  are  pilgrims  and  sojourners  here;  this  world  is 
not  our  home.  In  the  Father's  house  are  many  mansions, 
and  he  has  gone  to  prepare  a  place  for  us,  that  we  may  be 
with  him  in  heaven,  our  home.  (John  xiv.  2,  3.) 

27.  He  will  confess  us  before  the  Father  and  his  holy 
angels.    He  shall  say :  "Behold,  I  and  the  children  which 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ,  171 

God  hath  given  me."   (Heb.  ii.   13.)     There  is  no  such 
promise  for  those  who  will  not  confess  him  here. 

28.  He  will  openly  acquit  his  people  in  the  judgment. 
Then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory,  and  all  his 
holy  angels  with  him.  The  dead,  small  and  great,  shall 
stand  before  him.  He  shall  say  to  his  people,  "Come  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for 
you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  (Matt,  xxv.) 

29.  Our  bodies  shall  be  redeemed  in  the  resurrection — 
the  whole  man  redeemed — body  and  soul  reunited  in  res- 
urrection glory.     This  shall  be  the  "resurrection  of  life." 

They  who  remain  shall  be  caught  up  to  meet  him  in 
the  air,  changed  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 
(i  Cor.  XV.;  i  Thess,  iv.  15-17.) 

30.  This  Gospel  shall  win  all  nations.  He  shall  have 
the  "heathen  for  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth  for  his  possession."  "The  knowledge  of  the 
Lord  shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea." 
"The  whole  earth  shall  be  filled  with  his  glory." 

31.  The  race  shall  be  redeemed  socially,  civilly,  politi- 
cally, commercially  and  industrially.  ''They  shall  learn 
war  no  more ;"  "They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  his 
holy  mountain."  Compare  Isaiah  xi.  1-9.  This  shall  not 
be  accomplished  by  Christian  civics,  institutional  church, 
altruistic  philosophy,  a  new  theocracy,  and  such  like,  but 
by  the  personal  faith  and  holiness  of  the  individual. 

32.  There  shall  be  a  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth, 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness.  Whether  this  represents 
the  final  triumphs  of  the  Gospel  during  the  milliennial 
period,  or  whether  it  tells  of  the  final  abode  of  the  blessed 
somewhere  in  a  renovated  earth  and  heavens,  we  may  not 
decide.  But,  on  any  interpretation,  we  have  a  glimpse 
of  the  ineffable  glory. 

33.  All  these  things  are  duly  authenticated  to  us,  by 


172  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

three  witnesses — the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost — and  these  three  are  one.  This  authentication  is 
found  in  the  entire  Scriptures,  and  confirmation  is  found 
in  the  heart  of  every  behever. 

34.  He  has  given  us  his  Word  and  Spirit,  by  which  all 
these  things  are  executed  and  perfected. 

35.  We  may  quote  still  briefer  summaries :  "Godliness 
is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having  promise  of  the  life 
that  now  is  and  of  that  which  is  to  come."  (i  Tim.  iv.  8.) 
Or  this,  "All  things  are  yours,  and  ye  are  Christ's,  and 
Christ  is  God's."  (i  Cor.  iii.  21-23.) 

These  things,  stated  in  scriptural  form  and  in  semi- 
logical  order,  do  so  overlap  and  reinforce  each  other 
that  ye  may  see  this  great  salvation  in  its  entirety.  We 
may  bow  our  heads  in  reverential  awe  and  gratitude  and 
cry,  ''Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us ;  to  thy  name 
be  all  the  glory." 

Chapter  two  sets  forth  the  names  and  titles  of  Christ, 
and  this  summary  presents  his  salvation  in  detail.  If  the 
reader  shall  get  from  these  two  chapters  a  complete  view 
of  Christ  and  his  salvation,  the  author  will  be  more  than 
grateful.  He  has  found  these  two  studies  exceedingly 
profitable  to  himself. 


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